Dark Shadows
by maria-fall
Summary: The Russo's are not Wizards in this storyline but Alex is a vampire from the 1700's who awakes in the present day. Alex has her eye set on The Russo's nanny Sonny Monroe. Heavy Alex/Sonny pairing.
1. Chapter 1

New story featuring the cast of WOWP and Sonny from Sonny with a chance. Idea came from the Dark Shadows movie. This may be a long story. Most of the characters are similar to their characters on their respective shows.

Rated M for violence, sexual situations, and a brief reference to drugs. I do not own anything. Alex/Sonny pairing and Alex/Juliet pairing. And yes there will be sexual situations between these characters.

Cast of Characters

Alexandra/Alex Russo (became a vampire at the age of 18) – Lived during the 1700's in what is today known as Castlestone Maine. Alex spent part of her life in France where the more enlightened attitudes towards women created her to be much more independent than her peers. At the same time her wealthy upbringing causes her to be a bit lazy and carefree at times too. Even though she likes to be seen as strong and independent, Alex can be vulnerable when she lets someone in.

Gerald Russo (mid 40's) – Revolutionary War hero and Alex and Justin's father. He came to America from England long before the war and established a successful trading company. His father was a wealthy Italian merchant who eventually settled in England.

Justin Russo – Alex's brother. A responsible young man who is left in charge of his father's business during the Revolutionary War. Even though he seems distant and aloof, he truly cares for his wife and his sister.

Harper Finkle – Justin's fiancé and eventual wife. When they were little she was Alex's best friend but eventually time as well as greed tore them apart. She emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland with her parents at a young age.

Zeke Beakerman – Justin's best friend who is a loyal and true friend. Shares many of the same interests as Justin.

Mason – A potential suitor for Alex. Alex shows no interest in him.

Juliet – Alex's first lover. Alex met Juliet in France where they began an affair.

Present day characters:

Jerry Russo – Alexandra's present day descendent. Lived in New York but moved to Castlestone Maine after inheriting his Aunt's mansion. While the inheritance left the family well off, Jerry opened a second Sub Station in Maine. In his late 30's.

Theresa Russo – Jerry's loving wife. Desperately wants to start a new life with her husband and son in Maine.

Max Russo (12) – Jerry and Theresa's only son. He suffered a traumatic experience years ago that left him emotionally distant. He is lonely and misunderstood by his parents and peers. Loves to play videogames with his uncle.

Kelbo Russo – Jerry's brother. Even though he means well and truly cares for his family, he is usually seen as childish, lazy and inconsiderate of others to the point that Theresa cannot stand him. Spends a lot of time with his brother who is the only person who will have anything to do with him. Recently divorced.

Allison Sonny Munroe (18) – Alex's new love interest. She works for the Russo's as Max's nanny and helps Theresa with the housework. In a way Theresa sees Sonny as the daughter she never had. Sonny carries with her a painful past that she tries to hide with a friendly and cheerful demeanor. She acts as Max's older sister and truly cares for his well-being.

Cory Beakerman – Zeke's descendent. An educated man in his late 20's. Even though there is over a ten year age difference he seems to be fond of Sonny. Due to his education level, social status, and town demographics it is difficult for him to make friends or find a girlfriend that are around his age. Eventually he becomes a close friend to Sonny. Very knowledgeable in the occult and superstition even though at first he doesn't believe in it.

Brock Roberts – A middle-aged lawyer who is also the town's historian. Unlike the Russo's and Beakerman's his family is relatively new to the area. Very knowledgeable about history and antiques.

Beth Russo – Jerry and Kelbo's distant aunt. She dies in the beginning of the story and leaves Jerry her house.

Elizabeth – A mysterious woman who a part of Alex's past.

Fred – A old homeless man who Alex first encounters.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Late July… On a road near the coast of Southern Maine

Jerry turned to his wife who was staring out the passenger side window admiring the scenery. "The directions said to make a right after the second traffic light…?"

Theresa glanced at the directions in her hand. "Yes, then we just follow the road right to the house."

Jerry glanced at his watch. "We should be there by 1:00."

Theresa turned to the backseat where Max was sitting. He had been playing his PSP during the whole trip. "Still at it honey?"

Max just shrugged barely acknowledging his mother. Theresa attempted to converse with her son. "So what game are you playing?"

Max said nothing. He kept his eyes focused completely on the videogame. Feelings of concern and frustration flowed through Theresa's mind. She sighed and decided to leave her son alone.

Jerry glanced at his wife and gave his wife's hand a warm loving squeeze to alleviate her concerns. Theresa turned to her husband and smiled.

Theresa: "I still can't believe we're finally leaving the city… Jerry, are you sure about this?"

Jerry: "I think it's for the best Theresa. I really think we can make a new life for ourselves here."

Theresa: "You're right. I mean with your aunt leaving us the house and everything… I think we'll be alright from now on."

Jerry nodded silently. Theresa realized what she had just said. "I'm sorry Jerry… I didn't mean it like that."

Jerry shook his head. "No, I understand what you mean and I feel the same exact way. It's not like I really knew the woman. I only met her a few times."

Theresa: "How is she related to you again? I remember she came to our wedding but I never had a chance to talk to her."

Jerry: "She's my grandfather's sister. Her husband died a long time ago… she never had any kids. Kelbo and I were her only living relatives."

Theresa: "Speaking of Kelbo, are you sure he'll be there on time."

"Knowing Kelbo he's probably heading down to Florida instead." Jerry joked.

Theresa laughed knowing how irresponsible her brother-in-law was. Jerry motioned to Theresa to look ahead. He had a huge smile on his face, eager to show his wife their new house. "Look honey."

Theresa's eyes widened when she saw the three story mansion standing in front of her. "Oh my God Jerry! This can't be our house! It's amazing!"

Jerry pulled up to the driveway. "It's been in my family practically forever from what I've heard. There's at least 30 rooms, maybe more."

Jerry and Theresa stepped out of the car. Jerry stretched and yawned, tired from the long trip from New York to Maine. Max stayed in the car, he kept playing his PSP.

Jerry pointed to Kelbo's car that was parked by the house. "I'll be damned. Kelbo is on time for once."

Jerry turned to Max. "Hey Max, want to check the place out with us?"

Max ignored his father. Theresa was grateful that Jerry had been patient with Max all this time. Jerry lightly placed his hand on Max's shoulder. "Please Max…" Max shut off his videogame and stepped out of the car keeping his head down the whole time.

A voice called out to Jerry. "Jerry Russo?"

Jerry turned around and saw a middle-aged man wearing a three piece suit standing right behind him.

Jerry shook the man's hand. "Mr. Roberts."

The man smiled. "Call me Brock. I'm sorry for your loss. Your Aunt Beth was a good friend of mine."

Jerry nodded. "Thank you."

Mr. Roberts: "Well why don't you follow me inside so we can start the paperwork. Your brother Kelbo is waiting inside."

The Russo's followed the lawyer inside the house.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Jerry, Theresa, and Kelbo sat on the sofa in the living room in front of the lawyer. Max sat alone in the corner of the room reading a comic. All of the paperwork related to the title of the house was lying on a nearby coffee table.

Theresa: "So this house has been here since the 1700's?"

Mr. Roberts nodded. "Yes… Your ancestor Gerald Russo started building this house around 1770. It took close to ten… twelve years to complete. Unfortunately Gerald didn't live to see it completed."

Jerry finished signing the last documents. He handed the forms back to Mr. Roberts. "You know I always was under the impression that my great-grandfather was the first Russo to immigrate to America. I never knew that I had family here during Colonial times."

Mr. Roberts placed the forms in his briefcase. "Yes, in fact Gerald Russo was a Colonel who served under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Actually if you're interested I could tell you a bit about him."

Jerry: "Of course, if you don't mind."

Mr. Roberts smiled. "Not at all. I'm actually the town's historian as well."

Mr. Roberts took a sip of water before beginning. "Gerald's father was a successful merchant from Italy who eventually settled in England with his family. When Gerald came of age he came to America to expand his father's business. He established a trading port in Boston and amassed a large fortune rather quickly. Eventually Gerald decided to move out of the city and started a family here in Castlestone Maine. At the time this whole area was unchartered wilderness."

Mr. Roberts stood up and pointed to an old portrait. "That's a portrait of Gerald before the war broke out."

Theresa pointed to the two other portraits. "Who are the people in the two other portraits?"

Mr. Roberts remembered back to his studies. "Those are Gerald's children… Justin and Alexandra. I believe those portraits were done much later when Gerald was away during the war."

Theresa looked at Alex's portrait. "Beautiful dress…"

Mr. Roberts nodded. "Indeed. From all accounts Gerald gave his children whatever they wanted especially his daughter. She had all the best dresses and accessories from France. Well his children were all that he had. Gerald's wife died at a young age; in fact she died during childbirth. I can only image how it pained Gerald to leave his children behind when he went off to war."

Theresa turned to Mr. Roberts. "He left his children all alone?"

Mr. Roberts's eyes met Theresa's. "It was a different time back then. Let's see… Justin would have probably been around 17 when Gerald left for the war so he would have been considered an adult. Justin would have been the head of the household while Gerald was gone. In fact Justin took care of his father's affairs and ran the family's business."

Jerry shook his head in amazement. "When I was that age I spent all of my time chasing girls." Theresa shot her husband an angry look.

Mr. Roberts laughed. He soon settled down and continued. "Justin was actually engaged to be married at that age. His wife's name was Harper Finkle. Not much is known about her."

Jerry: "So Justin probably would have been working on the house when his father was gone?"

Mr. Roberts: "That's correct. Actually Justin added his own design features to the house. He even put in some secret passages."

Jerry scratched his head. "No kidding." He turned towards where Max was sitting. "Hear that Max? We'll have to check them out some time." Max remained silent and kept reading.

Mr. Roberts pointed to the blueprints that lay on the table. "Well not all of the passageways have been found. Your Aunt Beth had tried to locate the rest of them but had no luck."

Kelbo finally spoke up. "So there could be some hidden fortune here that we don't know about?"

Mr. Roberts shrugged. "It's quite possible… Part of the family's fortune is unaccounted for." No one noticed Kelbo greedily rub his hands together.

Mr. Roberts finished his water and stood up ready to leave. "Well let me know if you ever find anything." Mr. Roberts then muttered under his breath. "Hopefully you won't find any bones or ghosts for that matter…"

Concerned by the lawyer's words, Theresa looked up. "What was that?"

Mr. Roberts shook his head. "Oh nothing…"

Theresa was still worried. "Is there something here?"

Mr. Roberts just smiled. "No… not at all. It's just an old town superstition. More of a joke if anything."

"Don't tell me the place is haunted." Kelbo groaned.

Mr. Roberts turned to Kelbo. "I've had dinner quite a few times here with your Aunt. I can assure you that I've never seen a ghost or anything strange for that matter. And Beth never mentioned seeing anything to me."

Theresa: "Oh, it's just what you said had me a bit worried…"

Mr. Roberts: "Well I might as well tell you this. You may hear something about it in town."

Mr. Roberts sat back down in the recliner. "Gerald's daughter… Alexandra practically vanished off the face of the Earth one day. She left no trace or anything…"

Jerry: "What happened?"

Mr. Roberts: "No one knows… It's still a mystery to this day. Some believe that she was kidnapped and killed by British soldiers or by a nearby Native American tribe but that wouldn't be likely since the British stayed out of this area during the war and the tribes in this area were relatively peaceful towards the colonists."

Theresa glanced at Alexandra's portrait again. "She could have run off with someone."

Mr. Roberts: "Excuse me?"

Theresa turned towards Mr. Roberts. "Oh I just meant that she could have eloped with her boyfriend. She seemed to have been a pretty girl. How old was she when she disappeared anyways?"

Mr. Roberts: "About 18… From what I've read from accounts Alexandra didn't have any suitors but who knows."

Theresa: "Seems hard to believe. I mean about not having a boyfriend…"

Mr. Roberts: "True… She turned down all the offers she had. From my understanding she was a very strong willed girl which wasn't a sought after quality in that time. Anyways a few legends and stories developed over the years about the place. But that's to be expected anyways with a place this old."

Mr. Roberts glanced at his watch. "Well I have to be going. I have another appointment this afternoon." He stood up and shook hands with Jerry. "If you need anything my office is always open. And please if you do find something of interest, call me."

"Will do." Jerry showed Mr. Roberts to the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Friday, Late September

Jerry sat on the sofa in the study reading the newspaper while Theresa was working on a crossword puzzle. It didn't take the Russo's that long to move their belongings into the house. They also kept some of the furniture that Aunt Beth left them.

Theresa glanced over at her husband. "Did you see the ad I put in the paper?"

Jerry turned to the classified section. He read the advertisement that Theresa was referring to silently before turning back to his wife. "Sounds good Theresa."

Theresa: "You don't mind Jerry? I know you don't want anything to do with doctors anymore but we need someone to help keep an eye on Max."

Jerry: "I agree with you there Theresa. It's too bad there's not a professional service around here though."

Theresa nodded. "I just wish we could have found someone before school started."

Jerry: "Me too. I should have looked for someone sooner but with moving in and opening the new Sub Station… I just didn't have the time. How is Max doing in school anyways?"

Theresa: "The teacher says that he's doing fine… She even wants to put Max in the regular classes. I said that I would talk to you about it first."

Jerry: "That might be the best thing for Max… I mean he might finally make some friends. You said there weren't that many kids in those special classes he takes?"

Theresa: "I think there's two or three other children in Max's class. And they probably have their own problems. I just don't want Max to be picked on if he's put in the normal classes."

Jerry: "Yeah… Well I'll talk to the teacher and the principal in a few weeks and see what they think is best. The Sub Station has been busier than I thought it would be. I would have never guessed that we would have more business in small town Maine than we did in New York. Eventually I'd like to hire a manager to run the place so I can take some time off."

Theresa: "I wish I could help you out more at the restaurant…"

Jerry: "Don't worry about it Theresa. It's not like before where we were desperate to make ends meet. With the money Aunt Beth left us we're pretty well off so we don't have to worry that much. I only opened up the Sub Station here so we don't have to live entirely off our inheritance."

Theresa shrugged. "Still… If we find someone I can help out more at the Sub Station." Theresa gave her husband a smile. "And see you more during the day." Jerry smiled back.

Kelbo ran into the room holding a crowbar. He had a huge grin on his face. "Hey! I found something!"

"Damn it Kelbo! I'm tired of you wrecking the place!" Theresa spat. "I have to clean up every time you visit."

Kelbo: "This time I really found something here."

Theresa grew even angrier with her brother-in-law. This was Kelbo's fifth visit since they had moved into the house. Kelbo still believed that there was a hidden fortune stashed away somewhere behind the walls or under the floors of the house. He had already ruined the hardwood floors in one of the rooms downstairs during his search for hidden treasure.

Jerry attempted to defuse the situation between his wife and his brother before it got any worse. "What is it Kelbo? What did you find?"

Kelbo turned to Jerry. "I found a passage right next to the stairs."

Curious with what Kelbo found, Jerry and Theresa followed Kelbo down the stairs.

Kelbo pointed to the opening by the staircase. The marble statue that once stood in that exact spot had moved over to the side.

Jerry turned to Kelbo. "How did you move the statue Kelbo? The thing must weigh a ton."

Kelbo: "There is a small switch on the bottom of the statue. It's almost invisible. There must be some mechanism that allows it to move."

Jerry carefully stepped down into the opening that led to a narrow hallway. "This must be one of the secret passages that Mr. Roberts was talking about. Probably no one has stepped in here since at least the early 1800's."

Theresa: "Are any of these secret passageways on the blueprints?"

Kelbo smirked. "I think the keyword here is secret." Theresa shot Kelbo an angry look.

Jerry shook his head. "I doubt Justin would have marked any of the passages down Theresa. He probably wanted to keep his valuables safe. Don't forget they didn't have banks like we have today. It's not an exaggeration to say that people kept their money stuffed in their mattresses."

The three entered a small room. There was a small antique desk and a wooden stool against the wall.

Kelbo's eyes widened when he saw what was on the desk. "LOOK! Is that gold?"

Kelbo handed the bar to Jerry. Jerry inspected the metal. "I think so… If this is gold from the Revolutionary War it could be priceless."

Kelbo reached inside the desk. "I found some kind of gem… How much do you think this is worth?"

Jerry went through the cabinets. "I don't know… This jewelry must be worth something too. Jerry noticed an old pistol underneath the desk. "We could probably get a bundle for all this."

Kelbo noticed an old sheet draped over something. He threw the sheet off.

"Please tell me that's not a casket…." Theresa groaned.

Kelbo shrugged. He glanced at the steel casket. "Looks like it. But why would someone keep a padlock on a casket. Well let's open it and see what's inside."

Without hesitation Kelbo struck the first padlock with his crowbar. On the fourth blow the lock broke.

Kelbo took the padlock off the casket and tossed it out of the way. He broke the other padlock after several blows.

Before Kelbo could lift the lid, Theresa grabbed Kelbo's arm. "Don't tell me you're going to open that thing."

Jerry: "Theresa's right Kelbo… There's no telling if there's a body in there."

Kelbo: "So what are we going to do? Just keep it here? Why would anyone keep a body down here anyways?"

Jerry thought for a few seconds. "Look it's getting late. Let's just open it in the morning. If there is a body in here we can call the police and let them take care of it. I have to agree with Theresa. I don't feel comfortable going to sleep knowing there's a dead body in our house. I'd rather keep this out of mind and out of sight for now."

Kelbo finally caved in. "Fine… At least give me a hand bringing some of this stuff up."

Jerry nodded. He helped his brother grab some of the artifacts and haul them upstairs.

…..

The next morning…

Jerry and Theresa were finishing their breakfast.

Theresa took Jerry's plate. Jerry noticed the circles under his wife's eyes. "Didn't sleep much?" he asked.

Theresa placed the plate in the sink. "No… I couldn't sleep thinking about that casket."

Jerry sighed. "I guess I should check it out…"

On cue Kelbo walked into the room. "Forget it." he muttered. "I just checked, there's nothing inside."

Theresa breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Kelbo was still complaining. "Well I don't know why you're so happy. I thought there would be some more gold inside."

Theresa rolled her eyes at Kelbo. "Really Kelbo? Gold inside a casket."

Kelbo shrugged and grabbed some pancakes. He doused the plate with syrup. "Well you never know." He looked up at Jerry. "Anyways we should call an expert up and see how much this stuff is worth."

Jerry finished his coffee. "Yeah. I'll call Mr. Roberts tonight or tomorrow. See if he can tell me anything."

Jerry glanced at his watch. "I have to be going." He kissed his wife. "I'll see you later hon."

Jerry headed out of the door. Theresa turned to Kelbo. "Could you watch Max for awhile Kelbo? I think I'll take a nap."

"Sure thing." Kelbo said with his mouth full of pancakes. Theresa headed up to her room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Theresa woke up after sleeping for two hours. She took a quick shower and headed to the study. She found Max and Kelbo inside playing Street Fighter 4 on Max's XBOX.

Kelbo threw his controller down in frustration. "Fuck it!"

"Kelbo watch your mouth!" Theresa yelled.

"Well the kid won the last five rounds in a row." Kelbo pouted.

Theresa: "It's just a game Kelbo. I swear you're worse than a child."

Kelbo stood up and stretched. "Well since you're up Theresa I was going to check around the house and see if I can find any more secret passageways."

Theresa shrugged. "Have fun Kelbo." After Kelbo left, Theresa turned to Max. "Did you have fun playing videogames with your Uncle?"

Max nodded. "I guess…"

Theresa was happy to hear Max speak. It was rare when he did. "Why don't we grab some lunch."

Max followed his mother downstairs.

…

Sonny again glanced at the advertisement in the newspaper.

"Here we are."

Sonny turned to the cab driver and handed him her last $20 dollars. "Keep the change."

"Thanks Miss. You have a good day." The cab driver waved and sped off.

Sonny walked up the driveway to the door. She took a few deep breaths before finally pressing the doorbell.

A few seconds later, Theresa opened the door. She looked at Sonny. "Can I help you Miss?"

Sonny flashed a wide smile. "Hello… Mrs. Russo?"

Theresa nodded. "Yes… How can I help you?"

Sonny: "I'm here for the nanny position. My name is Allison Munroe but my friends call me Sonny."

Theresa stared at the girl for several moments. Finally she led the girl in. "So Sonny how old are you?"

Sonny: "18…"

Theresa frowned. "Oh I see…"

Sonny opened up her bookbag and handed Theresa her one page resume. Theresa pointed to the living room. "Why don't you have a seat Sonny while I look over your resume."

Max was sitting in the living room. Sonny sat on the sofa next to Max. "Hi, I'm Sonny."

Max said nothing, he kept his eyes glued to his comic book.

Sonny leaned over to see what Max was reading. "Cool! You're into The Avengers too? Me and my sister used to collect comics all the time when I was a little girl."

Theresa had finished glancing over Sonny's resume. She didn't want to even bother calling the sole reference that was listed at the bottom of the page. The girl was too young and inexperienced to be trusted to watch Max. Theresa headed into the living room prepared to tell Sonny that she wasn't interesting in hiring her.

Theresa noticed Sonny and Max sitting on the couch. She was surprised to see Max in the living room. Usually Max would head straight up to his room or the study after meals.

"So what's your name?" Sonny asked Max.

Theresa was going to tell Sonny that Max never talks much especially with strangers. Theresa couldn't believe it when Max told Sonny his name.

"That's such a cool name Max. I like it." Sonny exclaimed.

Max smiled back at Sonny. "Thanks. I really like your name too."

Theresa couldn't believe that Max was talking to this girl… and smiling. Theresa sat down across from Sonny. "So Sonny, why don't you tell me about yourself."

…

An hour later at the new Sub Station

Theresa waved to her husband who was bringing out a customer's order. After serving the customer, Jerry walked over to where his wife and son were standing. "Hey hon. I didn't expect to see you here so soon. So what's up?"

Theresa: "I think I found someone to watch Max."

Jerry: "See I told you we would find someone."

Theresa stepped over to the side so Jerry could get a better look at Sonny. "I wanted you to meet Allison Munroe. She's just applied for the nanny position."

Max chimed in. "Yeah Sonny is really cool dad." Jerry almost dropped his tray in shock when he heard Max speak.

Eager to make a good first impression, Sonny stepped forward and shook Jerry's hand. "Hello Mr. Russo. I'm Allison but please call me Sonny."

Still in shock, Jerry took a long hard look at Sonny. "Why don't you have a seat with Max. I'll bring you guys a few sandwiches while I talk this over with my wife."

Sonny nodded. "Sure." She sat down with Max who showed Sonny his PSP.

Jerry motioned for one of the waitress's to come over. A attractive blonde approached Jerry. Her nametag read Jennifer. "Yes Mr. Russo?"

Jerry: "Could you please bring my son and the girl over there a few sandwiches Jennifer?"

Jennifer nodded. "Sure thing." She glanced at her watch. "Should I just stay the rest of the day Mr. Russo? I really don't mind if you need me."

Jerry: "Yes you might as well. I doubt Sarah will bother showing up for work today. That's one thing I appreciate about you Jennifer. You always show up for work when you're supposed to. I swear I don't know why I keep that girl on."

"It's because she's the mayor's niece." Jennifer quipped.

Jerry: "True. I have to talk to my wife for a few minutes. Will you be fine by yourself?"

Jennifer nodded. "I can get Ryan to step out of the kitchen if it picks up."

Jerry: "I won't be that long."

Jerry sat down next to Theresa and asked her about Sonny. Theresa told Jerry everything she knew about the girl before asking her husband what he thought.

Jerry: "I have to say Theresa she seems kind of young. And she doesn't have that much experience. Are you sure it's a good idea?"

Theresa pointed to where Sonny and Max were sitting. "Have you ever seen Max respond that well to someone before?"

Jerry watched as Max let Sonny play his PSP. "No, I haven't…"

"She really seems to have such a nice personality." Theresa added. Theresa thought to herself for a few seconds. "I was thinking Jerry…"

Jerry kept his eyes on his son. Max still had a smile on his face. Jerry turned to Theresa. "About what?"

Theresa: "I need some help with the housework. The house is too big for me to clean by myself… I haven't even started the third floor yet. And Kelbo's been no help whatsoever."

Jerry: "Mr. Roberts gave me the numbers to Aunt Beth's old housekeepers… I never got around to calling them to see if they wanted to work for us."

Theresa: "Sonny mentioned that her landlord was raising her rent… I was thinking that we could let Sonny stay at the house with us. We would pay her for watching Max and we could let her stay with us in exchange for helping around the house."

Jerry sighed. "I don't know Theresa…"

Theresa: "The house is much too big for the three of us. And even when Kelbo is there, it seems too empty. And I really could use someone to help around the house."

Jerry: "So you really like this girl?"

Theresa nodded. "She seems really friendly. And Max has already taken a shine to her. It would be nice having someone other than Kelbo to talk to once in awhile. Besides we could put her on the third floor. It's not like we'll ever use that part of the house. And it would save us money from having to hire a housekeeper."

Jerry: "That's true. What did Allison say when you mentioned it to her?"

Theresa: "I didn't ask her. The idea just popped in my head this moment. But Sonny really seemed eager for extra work. In fact she asked me if you needed a part time waitress."

Jerry: "You know it would give me some peace of mind knowing that there is someone around when I'm at work. Especially with winter coming. And she would be a bigger help around the house than here at the Sub Station. Sure why not."

Theresa rushed over to Sonny and Max's table. She told Max to wait at the table while Jerry and Theresa talked with Sonny.

Jerry: "So Allison… I mean Sonny. My wife and I were thinking… we also need someone to help around the house."

Sonny interrupted Jerry. "That sounds great Mr. Russo. I actually worked as a housekeeper for the Apple Inn last summer. I even have it listed on my resume." She pointed to the resume that Jerry was holding in his hands.

Jerry glanced at the resume before looking up at Sonny. "Well this is up to you and you can take your time thinking about this but if you want we could let you stay with us in exchange for you helping around the house. I mean we would still pay you for watching Max either way but this would give you a chance to save some money instead of throwing it away on rent."

Theresa chimed in. "And you would just be helping me around the house. It's not as if we expect you to clean the entire house and watch Max at the same time. The work wouldn't be overwhelming."

Sonny: "That sounds wonderful. I accept."

Jerry was shocked by the girl's ability to make a quick decision. "Great. I do have a few ground rules… I trust you don't use drugs or alcohol."

Sonny shook her head. "No, I don't."

Jerry: "Great. It's just a formality. I didn't mean to offend you. I guess the only other rule I can think of right now is no guests allowed… And I mean no boyfriends either..."

Sonny interrupted Jerry again. "You don't have to worry about that." Theresa raised her eyebrow but said nothing.

Jerry smiled. "Alright then. When do you think you can move in?"

Sonny: "I only have a few things to pick up at my apartment. I could move in tomorrow if that's fine by you."

"Sounds great." Jerry turned to his wife. "Why don't you show Sonny around the house Theresa. I'll keep an eye on Max. We'll be home in a couple of hours."

Theresa nodded. "Alright. I'll have dinner ready when you come home."

….

Theresa drove Sonny back to the house.

Theresa kept quiet and focused on the road. Finally she decided to just say what was on her mind. "I trust your sexual orientation won't affect your ability to perform your job."

Sonny became nervous, her voice raised to a high pitch. "I don't know what you're talking about Mrs. Russo…"

Theresa interrupted Sonny. "Please don't lie to me Sonny. Not after I vouched for you."

Sonny turned to stare out the window. "I'm sorry Mrs. Russo… I didn't mean to lie. I just really need this job and I don't want you to hate me..."

Theresa noticed Sonny rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. She offered the girl a smile. "It's alright Sonny. I shouldn't have said that to you. It's just that… we're only worried about Max and we want what's best for him. He's our only child. He's never been the same since that day."

Sonny: "Mrs. Russo…"

Theresa interrupted Sonny. "Theresa."

Sonny: "I'm sorry… Theresa. Did something happen to Max?"

Theresa took a deep breath. "We owned a restaurant back in New York. A few years ago we had a holdup. Two men had barged in intent on robbing the restaurant and the customers. One of the customers had tried to wrestle the gun out of one of the robber's hands. The gun went off and Max was accidently shot."

Sonny: "Oh my God! Is Max alright!"

Theresa nodded solemnly. "The bullet grazed his arm. There was no severe damage… or at least from the wound. But the customer who struggled with the robbers was killed right in front of Max. The experience left Max completely traumatized."

Theresa: "Today is the first time since the robbery where Max has opened up to someone... and it's the first time I've seen my son smile."

Sonny: "Does Max receive any counseling? I'm sorry I shouldn't be so nosy."

Theresa: "It's fine. We took Max to see a doctor who was supposed to be one of the leading psychiatrists in the city. After the first visit the doctor wanted to commit Max to an institution. My husband wouldn't hear of it. The other two doctors said the same thing. That Max should be institutionalized. We decided it would be for the best if we kept Max out of counseling. Or at least until we find someone who has a better alternative than keeping Max locked away or drugged up."

Theresa: "Maybe we're wrong. My husband tries to treat Max like a normal child. He has nightmares occasionally…"

Sonny: "I know what that's like."

Theresa thought about asking Sonny what she meant by that but decided against it. She didn't want to upset the girl anymore. "The doctors explained that the incident may cause Max to have flashbacks. That's one thing I'll have to warn you about now Sonny. Max might become hysterical from time to time. If that does happen you'll need to call Jerry or me immediately. I'll give you an emergency number where we can be reached at all times."

Theresa: "But Max does have plenty of good days… Anyways I shouldn't have brought your choice of lifestyle up like that. It was wrong of me to do so."

Sonny: "No it's alright, I totally understand. Can I ask how you knew that I was…"

Theresa: "My brother Ernesto is gay. I guess I learned to pick up on certain things."

Sonny: "Oh… I didn't know I gave out any vibes."

Theresa: "I noticed you checking out the waitress back at the Sub Station. The way you smiled at her. And you shut down my husband the second he mentioned anything about having a boyfriend."

Theresa: "Well anyways the rules still stand. No girlfriends in the house. If you want some time off just let us know beforehand."

Sonny: "I don't have a girlfriend. I haven't been in Maine for that long…"

Theresa: "My brother Ernesto is visiting for the holidays. He could probably show you some clubs and introduce you to some people. He knows every part of the gay community up and down the East coast."

Theresa pulled into the driveway. "Well let me show you around the house."

…

Jerry helped his workers close the Sub Station down. He waved to Jennifer and Ryan as they left. "See you guys Tuesday."

Jerry turned to Max. "Ready son?" Max nodded and grabbed his stuff off the table. The two walked out of the building and to Jerry's car.

A voice called out behind them. "Hey Mr. Russo."

Jerry turned around and saw the town's sheriff heading towards him. "Hello Tom. I hate to tell you this but we just closed."

The sheriff shook his head. "I just wanted a moment of your time if possible."

Jerry knew by the sheriff's expression that something was wrong. He handed Max his keys. "Why don't you wait in the car Max. I'll be right over."

Max took the keys from Jerry and headed to the car. Jerry's eyes met the sheriff's. "So what can I do for you officer?"

The Sheriff waited until Max was in the car. "We found Sarah Vincent and three others murdered on the beach. It was only a few miles away from your house. Pretty gruesome scene… their throats were torn out… we had to call the state police in on this one."

Jerry: "And I'm a suspect since Sarah worked for me and the fact that she was found close to my house."

The Sheriff shook his head. "No, not at all. I just wanted to give you a heads up that you'll probably have a bunch of state police and reporters in the area for awhile."

Jerry stomped the ground in anger. "Damn it! I only left New York to get away from this shit!"

The Sheriff lightly patted Jerry's shoulder to calm him down. "Hey I wouldn't really worry about it too much Jerry. This is between you and me but this was probably something related to drugs. One of the victims had a prior conviction for dealing drugs."

Jerry: "That doesn't make me feel any better Tom."

The sheriff shrugged. "What I mean is that I doubt it was some guy going around randomly killing people. I'm 99 percent sure that the victims upset the wrong guy and wound up on his hit list. We'll probably pick these guys up in Boston or Portland. You should keep your doors locked though or at least until we find these SOB's. But I doubt they're still here in town. The state police will keep a few guys in the area for awhile."

Jerry: "Thanks… I do appreciate you telling me this."

The sheriff started to his car. "Well I have to get going. The mayor is having a major conniption fit right now over his niece. Try to enjoy the rest of the weekend."

Jerry watched the sheriff drive away. He then headed over to his own car and started home.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Theresa and Sonny walked into the living room. Kelbo was lying on the recliner watching an old Star Trek episode.

Theresa glanced over at the empty beer cans and snack bags left scattered on the table. "Jesus Kelbo! Did you ever hear of picking up after yourself?"

Kelbo kept his eyes glued to the TV. "I was going to clean that stuff up later."

Theresa rolled her eyes in disgust. "When?"

Kelbo shrugged. "I don't know. Since you're here Theresa do you mind cleaning that up for me? And could you get me another soda from the fridge too. I don't want to miss my show. It's the one where Kirk and Spock go into that alternate universe. Thanks."

Before Theresa could rip into her brother-in-law, Sonny picked up all of the garbage. "Where should I put this Theresa?"

Theresa turned to Sonny. "In the kitchen. Follow me."

Sonny followed Theresa into the kitchen. Sonny threw everything away in the trashcan.

Theresa had soon calmed herself down. "Thank you Sonny. I swear that man makes my blood boil!"

Sonny smiled. "So who was that?"

Theresa: "Oh Kelbo? That's Jerry's brother."

Sonny: "Does he live here too?"

Theresa: "No, Kelbo will just take complete advantage of my husband's hospitality. He usually stays with us a couple of weeks each month. You'll probably see Kelbo here more than Jerry. Just don't expect any help from Kelbo. He can barely take care of himself let alone help around the house. It's no surprise his wife left him after a few years."

Theresa grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and handed one to Sonny. "Well I should show you around."

Sonny took the bottle from Theresa and took a sip. She followed Theresa down the hallway.

Theresa led Sonny up to the second floor. "Usually we don't use the ground floor that much other than the kitchen and the dining room. And Jerry uses one of the rooms downstairs as an office. We spend more time up here in the study. It serves more as a family gathering room."

Theresa stepped in the study. Sonny followed her inside and looked around. There was a large fireplace at the end of the room. A long sectional couch was set up in front of a 60 inch television.

Sonny: "It really seems comfortable in here."

Theresa nodded. "Yes, we tried using the living room on the ground floor the first week we were here but it didn't seem that inviting. I guess it may have to do with the stone walls and marble floors downstairs. Makes the place feel cold and uninviting. Kelbo doesn't seem to mind it though. Maybe it's just me anyways."

Sonny: "How long have you guys been here?"

Theresa: "Almost three months. My husband's aunt died this summer. She left everything to us."

Sonny: "I'm so sorry."

Theresa: "We barely knew her but thank you for saying so. If you want to watch television or just hang out here you are more than welcome to. Max will want to play videogames with you so you'll probably spend most of your time here anyways."

Sonny smiled. "I look forward to it."

Theresa led Sonny out of the room and up the third floor. "And this is where you'll be staying. You'll have quite a bit of privacy here. Well you'll have the whole floor to yourself. Our bedrooms are on the second floor. You'll have your own bathroom here too."

Theresa led Sonny down the hallway. She opened the door into the bedroom. There was a large king sized bed in the center of the room. A small nightstand stood in the corner of the room near the closet.

Sonny looked out the window admiring the view. "This is great!" she exclaimed.

Theresa frowned at the dust gathered on the bedpost. "I'll help you clean up tomorrow and we can have you moved right in." She glanced over at Sonny. "So do you think you would like to stay with us then?"

Sonny nodded and smiled. "This is just like a dream."

….

Later that night at Sonny's apartment…

Sonny's suitcase sat by the doorway. The minute Sonny got back to her apartment she started packing. She couldn't wait to leave the small one room apartment. The landlord had given her back her $500 dollar security deposit.

Sonny decided to call her twin sister Mitchie and let her know how she was doing. She hadn't heard from her since June. They had always been close.

The phone rang a few times. Finally Mitchie picked up. "Hello?"

Sonny could hear loud music playing in the background. "Mitchie it's Sonny."

"Oh Sonny! Hold on a second." Mitchie turned off her stereo. "Sonny I have some great news."

"Me too!" Sonny exclaimed.

Mitchie seemed excited. "Ok, you first."

Sonny told Mitchie about her new job and about moving in with the Russo's. Mitchie seemed concerned at first that her sister would be moving in with complete strangers. Sonny assured her that the Russo's were nice people and there was nothing to be worried about.

Mitchie: "Well I hope it works out for you. Actually I was meaning to call you earlier but I was so busy."

Sonny: "So are you still planning to go to Wisconsin State?"

Mitchie: "No… In fact I'm in California right now. I'm acting now."

Sonny: "Get out of here! Really?"

Mitchie: "Yeah… I just filmed a movie for Disney. Should be out early next year. _Camp Hip Hop_."

Sonny: "My sister's a famous actress now… I can't believe it."

Mitchie: "Well it probably won't be a huge hit but it will lead to better things… Actually I did a few guest appearances on that show we used to watch, _So Random!_"

Sonny: "I'm so happy for you Mitchie. I wish I could have seen it. I don't have a television in my apartment. Oh well maybe I can catch the repeat."

Mitchie: "That's alright Sonny. Don't be mad with me but I was talking to the studio executives about you. They're actually having auditions in the spring. I guess they want to bring in a new cast to keep things fresh. Anyways they really seemed interested in meeting you."

Sonny: "I don't know Mitchie… The Russo's really need me to take care of their son Max. He's going through a lot right now."

Mitchie: "Well you have plenty of time to decide. Like I said the auditions aren't until next year. But do you think you can come out to California for Christmas? I really want to see you again Sonny."

Sonny sighed. "I don't think I want to see mom again. Not after what she did."

Mitchie: "Yeah about her… We had one hell of a fight before I left for California. I told her that I didn't want her around in my life… not after how she treated us over the years."

Sonny: "And you were her favorite…"

Mitchie: "And you were dad's favorite. How is he by the way?"

Sonny: "The doctors said that the cancer is spreading but they still have hope. I really want to be there for him Mitchie but dad told me he didn't want me to see him like this…"

Mitchie: "Don't concern yourself too much over him Sonny… He abandoned us when we were kids and left us with a physically abusive drunk."

"MITCHIE!" Sonny gasped.

Mitchie sighed. "Well it's true Sonny. I don't know why you still stick up for either of them. Especially mom. She treated you like shit."

Neither girl said anything for several minutes. Finally Mitchie spoke first. "I'm sorry Sonny if I upset you. Look can I call you later? I have a date tonight I have to get ready for. You know that show _Sorcerers of Waverly Place_?"

Sonny: "Sure. That's the show with the three brothers who are sorcerers."

Mitchie: "Well I'm going out with the actor who plays the older brother."

Sonny: "I'm so happy everything is going great for you Mitchie. Really I am."

Mitchie: "Yeah… I'm glad for you too. The Russo's sound like great people. I'm sure you'll like working for them. Well at least think about what I said about coming down for Christmas and about the auditions. I'll call you later. Love you sis."

Sonny hung up the phone and headed to bed.

….

The next day…

Sonny showed up to the Russo's shortly before noon. Jerry and Theresa greeted her at the door. Jerry was home today since the Sub Station was closed Sundays and Mondays during the week. Jerry took Sonny's suitcase and led her inside.

"I'm really sorry I'm late Mr. Russo. The traffic was terrible." Sonny explained.

Jerry: "Don't worry about it Sonny. I had a feeling you would probably run a bit late with all the checkpoints the cops have set up along the roads. I assume you heard what happened in the news."

Sonny nodded not saying a word.

Jerry: "I wouldn't worry about it too much. From what the sheriff told me this was probably an isolated incident. They'll have a few officers patrol the area until the people are caught."

Theresa seemed uncertain. "Are you sure everything will be alright Jerry?"

"Of course. The sheriff would have told me if we were in any real danger. We have nothing to worry about Theresa." Jerry tried to smile for his wife.

Jerry sat down in the living room with Kelbo. The Giants game was coming on.

"Well Sonny and I will be upstairs cleaning." Theresa mentioned to her husband. Jerry nodded.

Theresa and Sonny passed Jerry and Kelbo and headed upstairs to the third floor.

Theresa turned to Sonny. "Are you into football? My husband is a huge fan."

Sonny shrugged. "A little bit. I used to watch our high school games when I was back home in Wisconsin."

Theresa: "Oh you're from Wisconsin? What made your family move all the way here?"

Sonny decided to be completely honest with Theresa. "My parents divorced when I was younger. My father had moved to Massachusetts while my mother, sister, and I stayed in Wisconsin. I went to live with my father for awhile but it didn't go that well."

Theresa: "Sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to pry."

Sonny shrugged. "It's fine…" She grabbed a broom. "Where should I start?"

It didn't take Theresa and Sonny long to clean most of the third floor. Most of the rooms were completely bare which made cleaning a breeze. They worked on Sonny's room last.

Theresa placed clean sheets on the bed. "And if you're not happy with this room, the other furnished bedroom is down the hall. I don't have any problems if you want to switch rooms."

Sonny shook her head and smiled. "I actually love the view here."

Theresa walked over to the window where Sonny was standing. She could see the driveway below. The ocean was only a few miles away.

Theresa stared out the window for awhile. "If I knew about the view up here I would have taken this room myself." She turned around to find Jerry standing by the doorway.

Jerry: "Hi guys! How's it going?"

Theresa walked over to her husband. "Great, we cleaned the entire floor."

Jerry rubbed his hands together. "Kind of cold up here."

Theresa: "I was actually going to tell you about that. The heat doesn't seem to be working. Feels much colder up here than it does downstairs."

Jerry placed his hand by the vent. "It doesn't feel like there's that much air coming out of the vents… I'll call the heating company tomorrow, see if they can get a guy down here to fix the problem."

"Does the water in the bathroom work?" Jerry asked his wife.

Theresa nodded. "Yes, we have hot water and the toilet flushes."

Jerry scratched his head. "Well at least the pipes work. I was actually more worried about that." He turned to Sonny. "I'll definitely have someone come by and check out the vents. In the meantime, we'll bring you some more blankets after dinner."

Sonny smiled and thanked Mr. Russo for his kindness.

Theresa glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which I have to get dinner started."

"I ordered some Clucky's for dinner." Jerry explained. He turned back to Sonny. "I hope you like chicken. That's Max's favorite place. We usually order it twice a week."

Sonny: "That sounds great. I should probably change first."

Jerry: "Of course. Dinner is at 5:00 so there's no rush."

Theresa pointed towards the bed. "I brought up some towels for you."

Sonny grabbed a towel. "Thank you again Theresa." Jerry and Theresa headed downstairs leaving Sonny alone so she could take a shower.

Theresa followed her husband down the stairs. "I was actually hoping to cook a nice dinner in honor of Sonny coming to stay with us."

Jerry: "Well maybe we can all go out next week to a nice restaurant for that. I hope you don't mind Theresa but I invited Mr. Roberts for dinner. He's bringing a friend over."

Theresa seemed a bit irritated by Jerry's sudden announcement. "When are they coming over?"

Jerry: "Around 4:30. I wanted Brock to check out the stuff we found."

"Fine, I'll be downstairs in a short while." Theresa went to the bathroom to take a shower and change her clothes. She then headed downstairs and found her husband and Kelbo talking with Mr. Roberts and another man.

Jerry turned to Theresa. "Oh hi Theresa. You know Mr. Roberts. This is his friend Cory Beakerman."

Cory appeared to be in his late 20's. He seemed quite fit although he was starting to gain some weight around his waistline due to frequent lunches and dinners at expensive restaurants. Cory shook Theresa's hand. "It's a pleasure."

Jerry showed his guests into the dining room. Sonny and Max soon joined the group for dinner.

Jerry turned to his guests. "This is my son Max."

Mr. Roberts: "Hello again Max."

Jerry: "And this is Allison. She watches Max for us. She just moved in today."

Sonny extended her hand to Mr. Roberts and smiled. "Hi. You can call me Sonny."

Cory looked over at Sonny. "Sonny? That's a lovely name?"

Sonny nodded, her eyes met Cory's. "Oh thank you. You know when I was younger I didn't really like it but now it kind of suits me…"

Jerry politely interrupted Sonny. He learned quickly that the girl could talk nonstop. _No wonder Theresa and her get along so well._ Jerry thought to himself.

Jerry smiled. "Well dinner's ready..."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Dinner went well, the group talked for awhile. Jerry noticed that Cory seemed to be quite fond of Sonny. Not knowing about Sonny's sexual orientation, Jerry thought about setting the two up on a date.

Mr. Roberts finally inquired about the business at hand. "So Jerry, let's see what you found."

Jerry nodded. He turned to Max and Sonny. "Say Max, why don't you and Sonny go upstairs and play some videogames. We're just going to talk about some boring stuff."

Max nodded and turned to Sonny. "Want to play some Street Fighter 4." He grabbed Sonny's hand and led her upstairs. Cory watched as Sonny followed Max.

"I didn't want Max to hear anything that could upset him." Jerry explained.

Cory turned to Jerry. "Brock told me that you found a casket here in one of the passageways?"

Kelbo: "Yeah but there wasn't anything inside."

Cory: "Well that's a relief. I was rather hoping those stories had some truth to them though."

Mr. Roberts: "Cory's family has been here since Colonial times. Isn't that right Cory?"

Cory: "Yes. In fact my great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Zeke Beakerman was close friends with your ancestor Justin Russo."

Jerry: "So you must have heard many stories about my family."

Cory: "Most of it is just pure superstition."

Jerry: "I actually want to hear it."

Cory took a deep breath and began. "This is the way I have heard it. Again these stories were passed down through the years so there is really no truth to them. As Mr. Roberts had explained, Gerald Russo went away to serve under General Washington. He was gone for several years but he visited his family when he could."

Cory: "Justin was engaged to Harper Finkle a local girl whose family came from Ireland. She lived at the house with Justin. They eventually married after the war and had three children."

Theresa: "So they lived here even though the house wasn't completed yet?"

Cory: "Most of the house was quite habitable. The ground and second floors were almost finished by the time Gerald left for the war. The reason the construction took so long to complete was that supplies were hard to come by during the war."

Cory: "Justin also had a sister Alexandra. She was two years younger than Justin and would have been around 15 when the war began. Alexandra had spent a large portion of her youth traveling back and forth to Europe. Anyways when she turned 18 she permanently moved in with Justin and Harper. Harper wasn't happy with the arrangement."

Kelbo: "Can't blame her there. Having a relative overstay their welcome like that."

Theresa stared at Kelbo. "Tell me about it." she muttered under her breath.

Cory: "I think it had more to do with the fact that Alexandra was next in line to inherit everything if her father and brother died. Harper may have saw Alexandra as a threat to her financial security. And there was also the fact that Justin was very close to his sister. He even took her word over his own fiancé's."

Jerry: "So what happened?"

Cory: "Well this is where it gets pretty weird. Alexandra had lived with Justin and Harper for close to six months. She disappeared in October."

Jerry: "Yes we heard about that. Did your family know what happened to her?"

Cory: "Well my ancestor Zeke made up some farfetched story that he told to his children on his deathbed. Before Alexandra went missing there were accounts of strange things happening in the house. During the day Alexandra locked herself in her room refusing to see anyone. She would never come out until dark. The curtains in her room were always drawn. And several times Alexandra was seen walking alone in town past midnight. Some of the townspeople started to vanish… Rumors had spread that Alexandra had become a vampire."

Jerry: "You're right, this is getting weird."

Cory shrugged. "Well I told you these stories were pure superstition. But it was a different time back then. Don't forget it was only 80 years before that when women were being burned at the stake for witchcraft."

Theresa: "Well what did happen to her? I mean what do the stories say?"

Cory: "Justin and Zeke had found out that Alexandra did indeed become a vampire. The stories never said how she became one though. Anyways one day Justin and Zeke went in Alexandra's room and they found a coffin inside… Alexandra was found in the coffin sleeping. Supposedly they locked the coffin up and placed it in one of the secret passages."

"No stake in the heart?" Kelbo smirked.

Cory: "Justin probably didn't have it in him to do that to his sister. Still being buried alive would have been much worse. Zeke never told his family where she was buried."

Cory: "Several months after Alexandra had vanished; Gerald came by on leave. He found out that his daughter had gone missing. The official consensus was that either the British or a nearby Native American tribe had taken Alexandra and possibly killed her. Gerald himself believed that the British were responsible. I guess his hatred towards them grew during the war."

Theresa: "What happened to Gerald? He died later on right?"

Cory nodded. "Gerald went insane from grief. His daughter was everything to him. He truly believed that the British were responsible for her death. He began volunteering for suicidal campaigns that had no chance of succeeding. About a year later Gerald died in a skirmish outside Philadelphia. He rushed towards British lines when own his side was retreating due to heavy losses."

No one said anything for several minutes. Finally Jerry led the two men to where the valuables were kept. Mr. Roberts inspected everything.

Mr. Roberts: "I really can't give you an exact figure but you could be sitting on a million dollars easily. I know a dealer at an auction house in Boston who can get you top dollar for everything you found. Why don't you come by tomorrow afternoon?"

Jerry shook Mr. Roberts's hand. "Thank you Brock. I'll be sure to stop by."

The Russo's showed the two men to the door.

Kelbo: "Do you think there's any more treasure hidden here?"

Cory: "You know it's quite possible. Zeke told his children that Justin had hidden much of his fortune throughout the house."

Theresa: "I'm surprised Justin's family didn't wind up spending it."

Cory: "Justin didn't have a chance to tell his children. He died in an accident… his horse became startled and threw Justin right off. Justin struck his head against a rock and died upon impact."

Theresa: "But wouldn't Justin's wife have known where Justin kept everything?"

Cory: "Oh yes Harper… Well for some reason Justin kept everything hidden from her. He even divorced her which was rare for that day."

Cory: "If you don't mind I would love to check the place out with you the next time you're looking around. Just for curiosity sake of course."

Kelbo: "Sure thing. I was probably going to take another look around later this week. It would be nice to have some help."

Cory pulled out his business card and handed it to Kelbo. "Excellent. Give me a call if you do." Mr. Roberts and Cory headed out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Alexandra stood alone under the moonlight near the bushes and watched as Mr. Roberts and Cory Beakerman headed to their cars. She didn't know who either man was and she didn't care. The two men talked amongst themselves in the driveway for a few minutes before climbing in their cars and driving off.

After both cars sped out of the driveway, Alexandra approached the house intent on reclaiming what was once her property.

…..

Two nights ago…

Alexandra had been sleeping in her casket where she lay undisturbed for close to two and a half centuries. It was a deep sleep where she could find peace in the confines of her tomb.

She was suddenly awakened by the sound of someone striking her casket. The loud thuds were followed by voices that Alexandra failed to recognize.

Theresa: "Don't tell me you're going to open that thing."

Jerry: "Theresa's right Kelbo… There's no telling if there's a body in there."

Kelbo: "So what are we going to do? Just keep it here? Why would anyone keep a body down here anyways?"

Jerry: "Look it's getting late. Let's just open it in the morning. If there is a body in here we can call the police and let them take care of it. I have to agree with Theresa. I don't feel comfortable going to sleep knowing there's a dead body in our house. I'd rather keep this out of mind and out of sight for now."

Kelbo: "Fine… At least give me a hand bringing some of this stuff up."

Alexandra could hear something being dragged along the floor. She waited patiently in her casket. She heard the same people come back into the room minutes later. Again they left the room only to return within a few minutes.

Jerry: "Well I think that's the last of it."

Kelbo: "What about the desk and the casket?"

Jerry: "We're definitely leaving the casket here. Theresa will freak out if we move it out of here. We'll check it out tomorrow. We can come back for the desk later. Probably won't get much with the condition it's in."

Kelbo yawned: "I think I'll watch some television."

Jerry: "Yeah sounds like a plan to me."

Alexandra waited for an hour. When she was satisfied that she was all alone, Alexandra lifted the lid to her casket. She sat right up. Alexandra immediately held her arms to her chest.

_So cold…_ _I'm so cold…_

Alexandra slowly stepped out of her casket. Weakened from thirst and centuries of imprisonment, she fell to her knees. Alexandra struggled to crawl slowly out of the room. When she finally crawled out of the passageway, Alexandra collapsed on the ground.

A few moments later Alexandra heard Kelbo's voice come from down the hallway. "Are you sure you don't want a soda or anything Jerry?" he yelled to his brother.

Fearful that her brother Justin was nearby, Alexandra forced herself to her feet using all of her strength. Without second thought she ran out the front door and into the nearby woods.

Kelbo came back from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and a soda. He passed the foyer and noticed that the front door was left opened.

"Huh? I thought Jerry shut this? Oh well…" Kelbo slammed the door shut behind him and headed back to the living room.

…

Hours later…

Sarah Vincent and her new friend Maria were sitting on the beach watching the tide come in. Both Chris and Randy were throwing rocks into the ocean.

After awhile Sarah called out to her friends. "Come on Randy. I have to be at work early tomorrow!"

Maria laughed at her friend. "When have you ever been serious about work Sarah?"

Sarah ignored the other girl. She again called out to her boyfriend. "I'm serious Randy."

Randy walked over to where the girls were sitting. "I thought we were going to have some fun tonight babe."

Maria stood up. "Well whatever you guys are deciding to do I'm going to grab my sweater from the car first. It's freezing out here."

Randy smirked. "I told you that it was cold out this time of year. You're not in Florida anymore Maria."

Maria rolled her eyes at Randy and headed over to Chris's car. Randy turned to Sarah. "What's wrong Sarah? It's not like this job is that important to you."

Sarah: "It's just that Mr. Russo threatened to fire me if I was late again."

Randy: "So? It's just a part time job at a sandwich shop. Your uncle could probably find something better for you."

Sarah: "It's our senior year Randy. We should start taking things more seriously."

Chris had joined the group. He was a couple of years older than his two friends. "Relax Sarah. You'll have plenty of time to worry about that stuff. I screwed around senior year and I still got into a great college."

"Because of a football scholarship." Sarah reasoned.

Chris shrugged and turned to Randy. "So did you bring the stuff?"

Randy nodded and showed Chris the bag he kept in his jacket pocket.

Sarah pointed to a man she noticed lying on the beach. "Guys, someone's over there…"

Randy turned around to where Sarah was pointing. "Yeah that's Freddie the town bum. He's harmless."

Chris yelled at the top of his lungs. "Hey man."

Randy grabbed Chris's arm. "Hey Chris, just forget it. Like I said, the guy's harmless. Leave him alone."

Chris shook Randy off. "Nah man… let's have some fun." Chris ran over to where Fred was sitting.

Sarah shook her head. "And he's supposed to be the mature one…" She looked up at Randy. "You want to stop him."

Randy: "Are you crazy? How am I going to stop Chris from doing anything? He's only 50 pounds heavier than me."

Sarah: "I'm serious Randy."

"Fine!" Randy spat. He ran over to where Chris was. Sarah stood up and followed her boyfriend.

Chris was standing over Fred. He kicked the older man, daring him to get up. "Hey man I'm talking to you!"

Fred stood up and wiped the sand off his old army jacket. "What do you little punks want?"

Chris shoved Fred back to the ground. "So I'm a punk? Huh old man?"

Randy and Sarah ran over to Chris. Randy shouted at Chris. "Hey man! That's enough!"

Chris just shrugged. "Whatever."

The group was startled by a loud scream. Randy looked around. "That sounded like Maria!"

Randy ran over to the car while Chris stayed behind. Sarah turned to Chris. "Aren't you going to check it out? Maria's your girlfriend."

Chris shook his head. "She's probably playing a joke on us… trying to scare us or something. It's not my problem anyways." It was apparent that he was unnerved.

Fred: "You little sissy! You wouldn't have lasted five minutes in Nam!"

Chris grabbed the old man by the shirt. "You don't know when to shut up, do you old man?"

Chris could see that the old man was terrified. But it was apparent that he was scared of something else.

Sarah: "Chris! Behind you!"

As Chris turned around Alexandra lunged forward and bit into his neck. Chris fell back against the ground. Alexandra knelt over him and began to feed.

Sarah screamed for her friends. "RANDY! MARIA!" She failed to realize that the others were dead.

The old man tried to reason with Sarah. "Damn it girl! We have to get out of here!"

Fred shook Sarah several times but the girl appeared to be in shock. Realizing it was hopeless, the old man tried to run but his knee gave out. He fell to the ground cursing his old war injuries.

Sarah was completely hysterical. Her body was frozen in place from fear. Alexandra drained Chris's blood completely. She stood up and approached Sarah.

"Please don't hurt me…" Sarah whispered.

Without hesitation or emotion, Alexandra tore into Sarah's throat. Blood spurted everywhere covering the sand nearby.

Alexandra licked her lips when she was finished. "That's so much better now. I was so thirsty."

Alexandra noticed the old man. He was clutching his knee, struggling to get to his feet. Alexandra walked over to him.

The old man tried to plead with the woman. "I'm an army veteran! I served this country for four years of my life!"

Alexandra stopped in her tracks. She extended her arm out to the man. The man hesitated but helped himself to his feet.

Alexandra: "And how is General Washington's army? Have they made any progress with driving the British from our shores?"

Fred's eyes widened. "General Washington? The British? Miss… do you know what year this is?"

Alexandra: "1778… isn't it?"

…..

Fred led Alexandra to an old abandoned factory.

Fred: "This place has been abandoned since the 90's… That's the 1990's in case you're wondering. I like to come here so no one will bother me."

Alexandra: "So you mean to tell me its 2012… I didn't realize I've been imprisoned that long."

Fred: "Yeah I can tell you what you've missed for the past 230 or so years. Might take awhile."

Alexandra looked out the window. "The sun will be up shortly."

Fred pointed to one of the offices. "I guess you could get some rest in one of those rooms over there. We could talk later tonight if you want."

Alexandra slept the whole day while Fred went about his own business. After the sun had set, Alex spoke with Fred. He told her how the world had changed since 1778. Alexandra was pleased to find out that the Americans had won the Revolutionary War but became disappointed with how the country faced new obstacles.

Fred told her about the Civil War, the World Wars, as well as the current ones. He told her a bit about the social changes that occurred as well. Fred seemed happy that he had someone to talk with even though that person was a vampire.

Finally Alexandra asked Fred if he knew anything about her family.

Fred: "I don't know that much about your family Miss. I'm actually from California myself. I moved out here a few years back looking for work. No luck here either… oh well."

Alexandra: "I awoke in my house but I didn't recognize any of the voices I heard. Does the Russo family still own the manor?"

Fred: "Russo… If you're talking about that big house by the beach, then yeah your family still owns it. Jerry Russo moved there a few months ago. I think he has a wife and a son…"

Alexandra: "And what is this Jerry Russo like?"

Fred shrugged. "I only met him a couple of times. Seems like a nice enough guy. He let me eat at his restaurant for free a few times."

Alexandra noticed that the sun was beginning to rise. She stood up. "Then I shall pay him a visit…"

Alexandra headed back to the office she used last night and went back to sleep. At nightfall she approached Fred who was having dinner.

"Hi there Alexandra!" Fred held out an unopened can of beef stew. "Hungry? I picked up some cans at the church earlier today."

Alexandra shook her head, she seemed depressed. "I'm so sorry Fred for what I'm about to do…"

Fred finished his soup. "My wife left me when I was overseas, never even gave me a reason why. I've been spat on ever since I came home from Nam. I've been homeless for over ten years now. My back and my legs are constantly killing me to the point that I can barely walk. You're actually doing me a favor. I really don't mind… I had a feeling this would happen."

Alexandra: "If I may ask, why did you go out of your way to help me? You know what I am and what I would eventually do but you still helped me."

Fred: "Well it's not every day I meet someone whose father served under one of the greatest men who ever lived. Besides it's been nice to talk to someone… most people go out of their way to avoid me. But you actually listened to me. Could you just do me a favor and make it quick."

Alexandra nodded solemnly. "I will and thank you again for your help." She walked towards the old man and true to her word, she killed him quickly.

…

Alexandra stood at the front door of her old home. She transformed into a cloud of mist and crept into the house.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's notes...

In case if you're wondering what Alex looks like as a vampire go onto youtube. The video would be titled SELENA AND DEMI VAMPIRES! I'm not sure about FanFiction's rules about posting a link so if you can't find the video I'll send you a email or PM with the link. I do NOT own the video. This is just how I envisioned Alex if she was a vampire.

Also I was going to introduce Alex probably around chapter 3 or 4 but I wanted to establish the other characters first and get the story going.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 8

Theresa walked into the study after the guests had left. Sonny and Max were on the sofa playing Street Fighter 4.

Sonny looked at her controller. "How do I throw a fireball?"

Max: "Down, forward, B or Y."

"Oh… ok." Sonny followed the instructions Max had given her. Max's character easily blocked the move. He countered with a Super Combo Finish which allowed him to win the game.

Sonny frowned. "That wasn't fair… I demand a rematch."

Theresa spoke up. "Max honey, you have school in the morning. It's time for bed."

Max shrugged. "Alright…" He turned to Sonny. "Goodnight Sonny."

Sonny smiled. "Goodnight Max." Max headed to his bedroom.

Sonny put down her controller and yawned. "I guess I should go to bed too. It's been a long day…"

Theresa nodded. "I know what you mean… I think I'll head in early tonight myself. You can sleep in tomorrow if you want. Jerry usually takes Max to school on Mondays since he's off from work."

Sonny stood up. "Well good night Theresa." She headed up to her room.

…..

Theresa headed downstairs to Jerry's office. Jerry was busy on his computer. Theresa tiptoed over to where he was sitting and wrapped her arms around her husband.

Jerry looked up from his computer. "Oh Theresa! You startled me. Are you heading to bed?"

Theresa nodded and smiled. "I was just waiting for you."

Jerry was oblivious to his wife's advances. "I'll be up in awhile… I'm just playing a few games of solitaire."

Theresa frowned, she felt hurt by her husband's rejection. Jerry seemed more distant every day. She knew Jerry still loved her but he had lost that passion they once had earlier on in their marriage. Theresa didn't want to place any of the blame on her son but their concerns over Max began causing stress on their marriage.

Theresa thought that moving to Maine would give them more time to spend together but instead they seemed to be drifting apart even more. At least in New York they had run the Sub Station together. But now Jerry was gone most of the day while Theresa was all alone in the house. When Jerry did have any free time he spent it on his computer or watching the football game with Kelbo.

"Oh… well good night then." Theresa turned around and headed out the door.

Jerry kept his eyes on the screen. "Night Theresa"

…..

Sonny changed into her sleepwear. Usually she wore pajama bottoms with a t-shirt or tank top to bed. Tonight she picked out a blue tank top.

Sonny sat on the edge of bed. She lightly touched the bandage on her arm which caused the wound to sting.

Sonny winced from the sudden pain. _I cut too deep this time…_

She slowly removed the bandage revealing the near three inch long gash she had made the day before. Dried blood had caused the gauze to stick to part of the skin. Sonny took a deep breath and ripped the gauze off with one try. The sharp pain caused her to cry out loud.

A knock came from the door. It was Theresa. "Sonny are you alright?"

Sonny forced herself to stay calm. "Yes, I'm fine… I'll be there in a second."

Thinking quickly, Sonny rushed to her closet and threw on her jacket to cover the scars on her arms. She calmly walked over to the door and opened it.

Theresa was standing there with two folded blankets. "I just wanted to give you these blankets. Is everything alright Sonny? I thought I heard you…"

Sonny took the blankets from Theresa. "I just stubbed my toe."

Theresa gave Sonny a look of concern. "I hope you're alright… I have a first aid kit I can bring up…"

Sonny forced a smile. "No really, I'm fine… Thank you for the blankets… It was so cold I had to put my jacket back on."

Theresa nodded. "Jerry will call the repairman tomorrow. If you need any more blankets they're in the closet downstairs right by Jerry's office."

Sonny smiled. "This should be plenty. Thank you so much Theresa. Good night."

"Good night Sonny." Theresa headed down to her own bedroom.

After Theresa left Sonny threw off her jacket and inspected her wound further. The cut went deep but the bleeding had long stopped. At least ripping the bandage off didn't cause any more damage to it.

Sonny sighed._ Why do I keeping doing this to myself…_ She buried her head in her pillow and cried herself to sleep. She prayed there would be no more bad dreams tonight.

…..

Alexandra ignored Kelbo who was snoring heavily on the living room sofa. She crept towards Jerry's office and opened the door. Jerry was still on his computer playing solitaire. Everyone else in the house was asleep.

Jerry's eyes were glued to the screen. He heard the door open. "I'll be up in a few seconds Theresa. Let me finish this game first."

Alexandra grabbed Jerry by back of his neck and threw him out of his chair. Startled, Jerry looked up at his assailant.

At first Jerry thought he was seeing a ghost. The woman's skin was deathly pale which contrasted her long dark hair. She was wearing a dark velvet dress that looked like it came out of a past era. Spots of dried blood covered parts of her dress as well as her skin. The woman's dark lifeless eyes were set upon Jerry.

Jerry: "Who the fuck are you?"

Alexandra decided not to waste any time with introducing herself. "I'm your ancestor Alexandra Russo… This house belonged to my father Gerald Russo many years ago."

"Yeah right…" Jerry took his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'm calling the police right now. My friend Tom is the town's sheriff." he calmly stated.

Alexandra reached forward and grabbed Jerry by the neck again. She lifted him several inches off the ground. "LISTEN TO ME!" she growled.

Jerry struggled to speak, he dropped his phone. "I… can't… let me… go…"

Alexandra dropped Jerry to the floor. Jerry took in several deep breaths. He couldn't believe that a girl who probably weighed around 110 pounds was able to easily manhandle a 200 pound man like that.

Alexandra: "Do you believe me?"

Jerry looked up. "About what? That we're related and you're supposed to be this person who lived over 200 years ago?"

Alexandra: "Yes…"

Jerry stared at Alexandra. "Well you do look like the girl in the portrait I guess…"

Alexandra: "Oh yes that portrait took several weeks to complete. It really brings out my finer features wouldn't you say."

Jerry gasped. "But that's impossible. You would have to be 200…" Jerry quickly did the math in his head. "Over 234 years old."

Alexandra: "I spent most of that time asleep in my coffin..."

"I knew there was something in that thing." Jerry groaned. "You're a vampire?"

"Yes…" Alexandra looked around. She pointed at Jerry's computer. "What's that?"

Jerry: "My computer…"

"What's a computer?" Alexandra inquired.

Jerry sighed. "Am I going to have to fill you in on the last 234 years? I didn't do that well in history class…"

Alexandra: "Someone actually told me quite a bit about our nation's history already…"

Jerry: "Oh…"

Alexandra: "He also told me that you have a wife and a child…"

Jerry: "What does that mean? Are you threatening me or something?"

Alexandra: "It means that you now have a reason to help me. If you help me I'll let them live… This is my house as well as it is yours. I need a place to stay for now."

Jerry thought quietly to himself. "What guarantee do I have that you won't just kill us anyways?"

Alexandra: "You're still my family… I'm not that much of a monster to just go and murder my family. I never tried to hurt my brother Justin or his wife."

Jerry: "He had reason enough to lock you away though…"

Alexandra: "Justin always acted on what he felt was right."

Jerry: "Did you kill those people on the beach the other night?"

Alexandra nodded. "Yes, I needed blood… I also killed a man at an abandoned building about ten miles away. His name was Fred. I would like him to have a proper burial."

Jerry: "I guess I could make an anonymous call to the police. Doesn't a vampire bite cause the victim to become a vampire though?"

Alexandra shook her head. "I have to give that person some of my blood for them to become like me… A bite alone won't do it."

Jerry: "Oh… I guess the movies left that part out. What about crosses or holy water?"

Alexandra: "Have no effect on me… Why? Are you planning on doing something to me?"

Jerry shook his head. "No… I was just asking…"

Alexandra interrupted Jerry. "Because if you are, I will kill you and your entire family without hesitation."

Jerry: "How long are you planning on staying?"

Alexandra: "I need to find something first…"

Jerry: "What in this house?"

Alexandra: "Perhaps… We'll talk later. First I'll need somewhere to sleep."

Jerry: "I guess you can take my office for now… If you want to clean yourself up there's a bathroom you can use across the hall. I don't want Theresa or Max seeing you covered in blood so just stay down here… at least for tonight."

Alexandra: "Of course…"

Jerry: "You know how to work a sink, shower, and toilet?"

Alexandra nodded. "I learned a bit about your modern conveniences the other day. I know what a light switch is as well."

Jerry: "I could show you my computer later on… Just do me a favor and try to hold off killing anyone for awhile."

Alexandra pouted. "I have to feed on blood…"

Jerry: "Well thanks to your little killing spree the other day we have the state police all over the place. Another murder is the last thing we need. I'll see about getting some blood at a hospital or something. It will take me a couple of days to figure something out…"

Alexandra sighed. "I'll wait…"

Jerry: "Do you need anything else?"

Alexandra: "No…"

Jerry pointed to his couch. "You can sleep on the couch if you want… I'll get a blanket and pillow for you."

Jerry rushed to the linen closet nearby and came back with a blanket and pillow for Alexandra. Alexandra was standing by the window closing the blinds.

Jerry placed the pillow and blanket on the couch. "So sunlight is bad for you."

"Too much is…" Alexandra turned to Jerry. "I'm still aware of my surrounds even while I'm asleep in the daylight."

Jerry scratched his head. "You still don't trust me."

Alexandra: "And you don't trust me either."

Jerry extended his hand. "I guess we'll have to start trusting each other from now on."

Alexandra shook Jerry's hand. "I guess…"

Jerry headed towards the door. "I going to try to get some sleep. I have to figure out what I'm going to tell Theresa. Oh by the way, the big guy sleeping in the other room is my brother Kelbo. He's family too so don't hurt him either. And if you hurt any of my family I will kill you. I'm sure a stake in the heart will do the trick."

Alexandra: "Fair enough. Good night Jerry."

"Yeah… Good night." Jerry closed the door behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 9

The next morning…

"And you just took this girl's word that she was a long lost relative?" Theresa spat.

Jerry: "I saw the girl's license and her birth certificate. Besides you can see some resemblance…"

Theresa: Alright fine! She's a distant cousin of your aunt. Why are you letting her stay here permanently?"

Jerry: "It's not permanent. She's just staying until she finds a new place. I couldn't just kick her to the curb. She's family…"

Sonny, Kelbo, and Max sat in the dining room eating their breakfast. They could hear Jerry and Theresa arguing in the other room.

Kelbo finished the last piece of bacon. "Who are they talking about in there?"

Max shrugged. "I don't know…" He looked up at Kelbo and Sonny. "I hate it when Mom and Dad fight."

Sonny smiled and patted Max's shoulder. "Don't worry Max. Everything will be just fine. You'll see."

Jerry and Theresa joined the others in the dining room. Theresa was still fuming. She was more angry with the fact that Jerry had allowed Alexandra to stay with them without consulting her first about it.

Kelbo held out his plate. "Hey Theresa you think you can fry up some more bacon?"

Theresa: "Don't give me any crap today Kelbo. I'm not in the mood for it."

Jerry glanced at his wife. He felt horrible about lying to her. Jerry had weighed all of his options last night. Jerry eventually came to the conclusion that the best course of action was to help Alexandra out in order to keep his family safe from her wrath. He realized that if Alexandra really wanted to kill them then she would have done it already.

Kelbo: "So who's staying with us anyways?"

Jerry thought for a few seconds. He had rehearsed the lies in his mind many times already. "Aunt Beth's cousin. She came all the way from… England."

Kelbo: "I didn't know Aunt Beth had any other family left. I thought we were it."

Jerry: "She's more of a distant relative."

Kelbo: "So what's her name?"

Jerry: "Alex… Alex Russo."

Theresa: "Well is Alex planning on joining us anytime soon?"

Jerry thought carefully with his words. "Alex had a long ride on the plane. She'll probably sleep in until dinner."

Theresa: "I'll have to set up a room for her. The couch in your office can't be that comfortable."

Jerry wanted to keep Alex as far away from his wife and son even though she promised that she wouldn't hurt either of them. "Why don't you put her in one of the rooms up on the third floor? That other room is still furnished right."

Theresa nodded. "Yes. I'll have to bring up some sheets and blankets though." Theresa turned to Sonny. "I hope you don't mind having to share the floor with Alex."

Sonny shook her head. "No, not at all. I'm looking forward to having some company around."

Jerry looked at his watch. "I have to talk to Mr. Roberts after I drop off Max. He's supposed to set up an appointment with the auction house today."

Theresa: "What do you think Alex will like for dinner?"

Jerry: "I wouldn't bother her about it Theresa. She seemed really tired from jet lag."

Theresa: "So when will you be home?"

Jerry: "I don't know. Probably the whole day. I'll pick Max up from school Theresa."

Theresa: "Oh… I wanted to go for a walk when you got back…"

Jerry finished his coffee. "We'll do something this weekend." He stood up and turned to Max. "Ready for school Max?" Mad nodded and followed his father out the door.

Theresa watched as Jerry and Max headed off. "Yeah right…" she muttered under her breath.

…..

Sonny helped Theresa clear the table. Sonny placed the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.

Theresa: "Thank you Sonny."

Sonny: "You're welcome. Is there anything else you need me to do today?"

Theresa shook her head. "No, I usually clean on Wednesdays and Thursdays." She gazed out the window. "Would you like to join me for a walk? Seems to be such a lovely day to be cooped up in the house watching TV with Kelbo."

Sonny: "Sure!"

Theresa and Sonny headed outside. The late morning sun shined high above. It was a relatively warm day out.

Theresa took off her jacket. "It's really beautiful out today. I don't know why I brought this along. The weatherman said that it would be warm for quite awhile. I'm going to enjoy the weather while I can."

Theresa led Sonny to a path in the woods. The leaves on the trees were beginning to change color.

Sonny: "So this path leads right to the beach?"

Theresa nodded. "Yes one of the neighbors showed me this shortcut. Just make sure you stay completely on the path. Much of this area is still considered wilderness."

Sonny looked worried. "There aren't any bears around here are there?"

Theresa: "No. There's too much noise in the area. The beach is a heavy tourist spot during the summer. There's a few concerts during the year from what I've been told too. Most of the animals are scared away from all the people and the noise. But still it's really easy to get lost in the woods."

Theresa and Sonny finally reached the beach. Excited, Sonny ran towards the edge of the beach. She knelt by where the tide was coming in and skimmed her hand along the water.

Theresa came over. "How's the water?"

Sonny took her hand out of the water. "Way too cold…" She sat up and wiped her hands on her skirt.

Theresa looked around. "There's not that many people today… I guess with what happened the other day..."

Theresa noticed a fisherman on one of the piers. "That looks like Mr. Beakerman… I just want to say hello."

Theresa and Sonny walked over to where Cory Beakerman was fishing. Cory pulled his line out of the water. A fish had run off with his bait.

Cory turned to the two women who were coming down the pier. "Hello Mrs. Russo." He smiled at Sonny. "Hello Sonny."

Sonny smiled back. "Hi Cory." She pointing at his fishing rod. "Any luck?"

Cory shook his head. "None I'm afraid. I had a few bites though."

Theresa: "Isn't it too cold this time of year to be fishing?"

Cory shrugged. "Well I just come out here for the fun of it. I don't have a chance to fish out by the ocean when I'm in Arizona."

Theresa: "You live in Arizona?"

Cory rebaited his line. "I spend the summers there. I don't like to spend all of my time in Maine."

Sonny: "That's weird. I would think most people would want to spend their summers here and head to where its warmer during the winter… Oh I'm sorry Cory… I didn't mean to say you were weird."

Cory laughed. "It's alright Sonny. Most people say the same thing... I teach at a prep school near Portland. Summer is the only time I get to go anywhere."

"Shouldn't you be at school instead of taking the day off fishing?" Theresa teased the man.

Cory: "Called out sick… It's too nice of a day to be stuck indoors. I figure I'll let the substitute teachers make some money."

Theresa: "Well we should be on our way."

Cory threw his line out. He glanced over at Sonny who was staring out towards the sea admiring the view. "You wouldn't want to catch dinner by any chance? I know an out of the way place that serves excellent lobster."

Sonny thought for a second. Even though she wasn't attracted to men, Cory seemed like a very nice person and she didn't want to hurt his feelings either.

Sonny: "Well I have to watch Max…"

Theresa spoke up. "Cory, I don't want to impose but would it be any trouble if Max tags along? We're having company."

Cory shrugged. "I don't mind. We can hit a pizza place nearby that has an arcade instead. You said your son likes video games right?"

Theresa: "Yes he does. I really appreciate it Cory."

Cory glanced at Sonny. "How does 5:00 sound?"

Sonny: "I'll see you then."

Theresa and Sonny headed back to the house.

Theresa: "I hope you don't mind Sonny but I wanted to meet Alex and clear some things up first with Jerry. I don't want Max around if we wind up getting into a fight over this."

Sonny: "I don't mind… Cory seems really nice. I hope he won't take it too hard if I have to tell him that I'm not interested in him."

Theresa: "I wouldn't worry about it too much Sonny."

Theresa leaned against an oak tree. "I have to stop for a second. I think I have some sand in my shoe." Theresa took off her shoe and shook out the sand.

Sonny lifted her sweater over her head. She had a short sleeved shirt underneath. "It's really getting hot."

As Sonny took off her sweater, the sleeve of her shirt had accidently rolled up exposing the cut on her arm.

Theresa's eyes widened. "How did you get that?"

Sonny quickly rolled down her sleeve. "Oh it's nothing."

Theresa walked over to Sonny and inspected the cut on her arm. Sonny silently cursed herself for taking off her sweater.

Theresa: "It looks really bad Sonny. Are you sure you're alright?"

Sonny thought of a quick lie to tell Theresa. "Yes… I accidently brushed up against a… a nail when I was moving out of my apartment." Sonny prayed that Theresa wouldn't notice any of her other scars.

Theresa: "How did you manage to do that?"

Sonny: "Umm… The building is really old. There's nails and screws sticking out from the walls and banisters. I always wound up getting scratched and cut up."

Theresa noticed another cut on Sonny's wrist. "I see what you mean. You should talk to Mr. Roberts. I don't know what area of law he specializes in but he could probably help you out if you want to sue the landlord for negligence."

Sonny: "I don't want to sue anyone. The owners are really nice people."

Theresa: "Well that's your decision. I don't think you'll need any stitches. I'll put something on it when we get back to the house."

Sonny breathed a sigh of relief that Theresa had believed her. She figured that the older woman probably had too much stress right now to concern herself with Sonny. Sonny hated lying to Theresa or to anyone for that matter but she felt she had no choice. Jerry and Theresa would never let Sonny near their son if they found out that she cut. Sonny followed Theresa back to the house.

….

Jerry and Max came home hours later. Theresa and Sonny were sitting in the parlor waiting for them. Sonny had a fresh bandage wrapped around her arm.

Sonny smiled at Max. "Hi Max, how was school?"

Max: "It was ok… Want to play some more Street Fighter Sonny?"

"Hold on a second Max." Theresa looked up at Jerry. "I ran into Mr. Beakerman today at the beach. He wanted to take Sonny and Max out for some pizza." Theresa turned to Max. "Cory mentioned that they have plenty of arcade games there you can play."

Max smiled. "Cool!"

Jerry: "So what time is Mr. Beakerman coming?"

Theresa: "Around 5:00."

Jerry turned to Sonny and Max. "Why don't you guys wait in the living room and watch some television."

Sonny and Max left the parlor.

Jerry: "So you met Mr. Beakerman today?"

Theresa: "Yes, he wanted to take Sonny out to dinner tonight."

Jerry: "You know I was actually thinking about setting the two of them up. I know Cory's about ten years older than Sonny but he seems like a pretty good guy. Mr. Roberts said his family is loaded."

Theresa bit her lip. "His work ethic leaves something to be desired. But anyways I asked if Max could tag along with them. I wanted to meet Alex first and make sure that she won't be a bad influence on Max."

Jerry: "I understand. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable at all Theresa. I should have discussed this with you first last night but I didn't want to wake you up. I'm sorry about all this… I think you'll like Alex though."

"It's fine Jerry. Besides I'm sure I'll get along with Alex just fine." Theresa glanced at the shopping bag that Jerry held in his hand. "What's that?"

Jerry: "Oh… the airline lost Alex's luggage. I went to the mall and picked out an outfit for her."

Theresa: "She's still not up yet. I hope she isn't planning on sleeping all day…"

Jerry: "Alex will be up around 5:30."

Theresa: "That late?"

_Well that's when the sun sets… _Jerry thought to himself.

…..

Later that evening

Jerry waited awhile until the sun had set before heading to his office. He knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Jerry walked in the office and shut the door behind him. Alexandra stood by the window watching as the last rays of light disappeared. She had a blanket wrapped around her for warmth. Her old dress was lying on the floor.

Jerry: "Sleep well?"

Alex: "Yes."

Jerry handed Alex the shopping bag. "I picked up some clothes out for you. Wearing a dress from the 1700's would probably raise some suspicions. Especially when it's covered with blood stains."

Alex took the bag. She looked inside.

Jerry: "I told everyone you were a distant cousin from England."

Alex looked up. "Why did you tell your family that I was from England? My family fought against the British."

Jerry shrugged. "Sorry about that but your accent doesn't sound that American…"

Jerry: "I don't know if you've seen yourself in the mirror but you're as pale as a ghost. I told Theresa that you were coming down with a cold."

Alex threw on the dress that Jerry picked out. "You've thought this through…"

Jerry nodded. "I'll do anything to keep my family safe. Luckily Theresa bought everything I told her. Damn it! I should have said you had a rare skin disorder or something… I mean she's going to wonder why you're constantly sleeping during the day."

Jerry shook his head. "Oh well I'll come up with something over dinner. That was my bad…"

Alex spun around in her new dress. "How do I look?"

Jerry: "Not bad. The sales clerk in the mall was pretty close to your size."

Alex rubbed her hands against her arms to keep herself warm. "I'm cold."

Jerry reached into the bag. "I picked up a sweater too." He handed the white sweater to Alex who immediately threw it on.

Jerry glanced at Alex's bare feet. "I forgot to pick up some shoes… I don't think Theresa has a pair that will fit."

Alex: "I'm fine."

Jerry: "I'll have to pick up some more clothes for you anyways. I'll toss that old dress out later tonight. Maybe Sonny has something you can wear."

Jerry headed to the door. "Well I guess it's show time. Try not to say that much. By the way I told everyone your name was Alex. I didn't want anyone making a connection to who you really are."

Alex: "So you just shortened my name instead of coming up with a new one?"

Jerry: "I didn't have enough time to come up with a whole new identity. Besides it could get confusing being called by an entirely different name."

Alex: "True… At times my father and brother called me Alex. Father always wanted another boy."

Jerry led Alex to the dining room where the rest of the family was sitting.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 10

Being a Monday night, _Mario's Pizzeria_ was practically empty. The sounds of the arcade machines in the back of the restaurant kept the place lively however.

Cory finished his slice of pizza. "It's been awhile since I had pizza. I'll have to hit this place again sometime."

The waitress took the plates away. "Would you like some dessert?"

Cory: "I'm stuffed. How about you Sonny? Max?"

Max: "I'm good."

Sonny placed a hand on her stomach. "Me too. I don't think I can eat another bite."

Cory turned to the waitress. "I think we could use another pitcher of Pepsi. I'm sure Max would like to play a few games."

The waitress nodded. "Of course I'll bring that right out."

Cory handed Max two rolls of quarters. "That should keep you busy for awhile. If you need more quarters just let me know."

Max's eyes widened. "Whoa! Thanks Cory!" Max ran to where the arcade machines were kept.

Cory turned to Sonny and smiled. "That should give us some time alone to talk."

Sonny looked down at the table. "Cory I have to tell you something…"

Cory sighed. "Let me guess… you have a boyfriend. I should have known. A girl as pretty as you must have a boyfriend already."

Sonny: "No… I'm…"

Cory: "Not interested in me…"

Sonny: "You seem like a really nice guy Cory but I'm not into men…"

It took Cory several moments to process what Sonny had said. "So you're telling me you're gay… Or is it that you don't want to hurt my feelings?"

Sonny lightly touched Cory's arm. She looked into his eyes. "I am telling you the truth. I really am gay. And I don't want to hurt you either Cory. You're a really nice person."

Cory: "So do you have a girlfriend?"

Sonny: "Not since high school…"

Cory: "Is that the reason you cut? Because you broke up with a girl awhile back?"

Shocked by Cory's words, Sonny's mouth dropped. She turned away unable to speak.

Cory looked away. "I'm sorry Sonny… I shouldn't have said that. I have a way of blurting things out like that."

Sonny was still at a loss for words. "How did you… I don't do that!"

Cory tried to smile. "You're a really bad liar Sonny… You know your voice rises in pitch when you lie."

Sonny: "How did you know that I…"

Cory interrupted Sonny. "I've been a teacher for about four years. You'll be surprised what I've seen in that time. A few of my students are cutters. It didn't take me long to put two and two together."

Cory pointed to the bandage on Sonny's arm. "I noticed those marks on your wrist and I'm assuming that one cut on your arm wasn't made by some nail sticking out of the wall."

Sonny was wearing a sleeveless top. She had told Cory the same lies that she told Theresa earlier that day. Since she got away with it before, Sonny felt confident enough to take off her jacket even though her scars would be exposed.

Sonny: "Please don't tell Mr. and Mrs. Russo. I need this job."

Cory: "I won't say anything. I can tell that you're no threat to Max."

Sonny: "I would never do anything to hurt Max."

Cory: "Yes, I can tell he seems to be really fond of you. And you seem to really care for him. I don't feel that you're really a threat to yourself… or at least not yet."

Sonny: "I don't understand."

Cory: "The fact that you're concerned about Max and your job tells me you haven't given up on yourself yet."

Sonny: "I suppose…"

Cory: "I won't say anything to Mr. or Mrs. Russo unless I feel that you're becoming a danger to them… or a danger to yourself. But until then it's in the vault."

Sonny wiped her eyes with her napkin. "Thank you Cory…"

Cory: "So the Russo's believed what you told them?"

Sonny nodded silently. "I didn't want to lie to them…"

Cory: "I have some numbers you can call if you ever have the urge to harm yourself. You can remain anonymous. And when you're comfortable I have the addresses of places that can give you the help you need. I'll bring that information over tomorrow."

Sonny: "Thank you Cory. Could you just write the numbers down on a blank piece of paper so the Russo's don't find out?"

Cory: "Of course. I don't know if you need someone to talk to. If you want we could go to the park tomorrow and talk in private there. Actually my previous offer still stands. The restaurant I wanted to go to tonight really has good food."

Sonny: "I would like that. I'll see if I can get some time off from Mrs. Russo."

Cory poured himself another glass of soda. "Well anytime you're available. I'm probably going to call out sick tomorrow and probably the rest of the week too. Might as well enjoy the weather while it's nice. I believe a cold front is moving in this weekend."

Sonny: "Aren't you worried about getting in trouble?"

Cory: "What's the worst they can do? Fire me? It's not like I really need the job."

Sonny: "Mr. Russo mentioned that your family owns a lumber company."

Cory: "We used to… My father sold it before he died."

Sonny: "I'm sorry…"

Cory: "Thank you. He died when I was twelve. I don't remember him that much. Anyways my ancestor Zeke Beakerman was Justin Russo's business partner and best friend. I don't know if the Russo's told you anything about their family history."

Sonny shook her head. "Theresa told me a little bit…"

Cory: "Well it's not that important. When Justin died his son bought out Zeke's share of the business. Zeke used the money to expand into fishing and lumber. We still own a large percentage of the fisheries in the area. My family is quite wealthy. I just teach because I actually enjoy it. My brother is the businessman in the family."

Sonny: "What do you teach?"

Cory: "Mythology. Everything from ancient Greek to the modern day."

Sonny: "That's really cool."

Cory: "It was the only thing in school that ever interested me. Anyways if you want a friend to talk with I'm here. And I assure you that my intentions are honorable. Believe it or not but not all men are pigs looking to take advantage of women."

Sonny: "I almost feel guilty for not wanting to go out with you."

Cory: "Don't be… I like helping people out which is probably why I chose to become a teacher."

Sonny: "I should set you up with my twin sister Mitchie. She likes older men… Sorry Cory I didn't mean to say you were old."

Cory smiled. "I hit 30 next month actually. But I can still run a mile in under seven minutes. I would love to meet your sister. Since she's your twin she must be beautiful."

Sonny: "She is…"

Cory finished his soda. "You can tell me about her later. How about we join Max in the arcade. You want to play a game of Whack-A-Mole?"

Sonny smiled. "Sure."

…..

Around the same time at the Russo's residence…

Theresa stared at the woman in front of her wondering what was wrong with the girl. Alex just sat there saying nothing. Alex looked up, her eyes met Theresa's causing the woman to look away.

Kelbo finished his dinner. "The chicken could have used just a little bit more seasoning Theresa."

"Maybe you could get off your fat ass and start cooking your own meals." Theresa muttered under her breath.

Kelbo looked up. "Huh?"

Theresa ignored her brother-in-law and turned to Alex. Her dinner was untouched. "Aren't you hungry?" Theresa asked the girl.

Alex: "No…"

Kelbo reached over to grab Alex's plate. "You don't mind if I take this then?"

Theresa: "KELBO!"

Kelbo cut into his chicken. "Why let it go to waste?" He turned to Alex. "Could you pass the pepper?"

Theresa: "Well is there anything I can get you Alex?"

Alex: "I'm fine…"

Jerry had returned from the bathroom. He had excused himself to rehearse the lies that he would tell Theresa and Kelbo about Alex.

Theresa: "Are you sure you're alright Alex. You really look like you're coming down with something. You're as pale as a ghost."

Jerry spoke up. When he was in the bathroom he came up with an excuse to why Alex was so pale and always slept during the day. "Oh Alex I called the pharmacy. They have your medication ready. I'll pick it up tomorrow after work."

Jerry turned to Theresa. "Alex has diabetes. That's why she needs her sleep."

Theresa: "Oh? Is it type one or two? My father had type one where he needed a shot of insulin each day."

Confused by the question, Alex looked over at Jerry. Jerry struggled to think of another lie to tell Theresa. He realized that Theresa knew all about the disease since it hit close to home.

_That's right Theresa's father had diabetes… _Jerry thought to himself. Mr. Larkin had died before Theresa and Jerry had married. Jerry had forgotten all about that. _Damn, why did I think to tell Theresa that Alex had diabetes?_

"Umm type three…" Jerry mentioned to his wife. "It's a rare condition."

Jerry turned to Alex. "Isn't that right Alex?"

Alex took the hint. She slowly nodded. "Yes… I have type three."

Theresa thought back to what she read about the disease. "Type three? I've read that type three diabetes is linked to Alzheimer's disease. How is it that a girl your age has it?"

Unsure of what to say, Alex glanced over towards Jerry again. Jerry felt like smacking himself on the head. _Damn I should have known Theresa would see right through this. Why couldn't I have said that Alex had cancer or heart disease instead?_

Jerry: "Well there's a… a variation of type three diabetes that just affects younger people. It has nothing to do with Alzheimer's. It's really rare… something like one in ten million has it."

Theresa looked at Alex. "That's interesting. Why don't you tell me a bit about your condition?"

Jerry interrupted his wife. "We shouldn't bother Alex right now. Her blood sugar looks really low."

Theresa: "Oh but…"

Alex forced a smile. "I'll be happy to tell you about my condition some other time." She glanced over at Jerry with a look of anger in her eyes. "Isn't that right Jerry." Alex's eyes turned blood red.

Frightened, Jerry almost choked on his dinner. He reached for his soda. "Of course..."

Theresa turned to Jerry. "Well how did the meeting with Mr. Roberts go?"

Jerry had almost forgotten about his meeting with Mr. Roberts. "Brock set up two appointments with the auction house. The first auction is this Saturday. The second auction is in about three weeks."

Theresa: "I hope the second one doesn't interfere with Max's birthday."

Jerry: "It shouldn't…"

Kelbo finished his second helping of dinner. "So they're having two auctions?"

Jerry: "Yeah… we'll bring most of the stuff down this weekend. The jewelry as well as the antiques… Brock said that the high rollers will be at the second auction. We'll bring the gems and the gold to that one."

Theresa: "Mr. Roberts said the auction house was in Boston right?"

Jerry: "Yeah… Kelbo and I will probably leave Friday and come back Sunday. Jennifer can run the Sub Station this weekend. She shouldn't have any trouble by herself. To be honest I'm thinking about making her manager anyways."

Kelbo: "Hey the _Lost in Space_ marathon is on this Saturday."

Jerry: "Are you kidding me Kelbo! You were the one who was tearing this house apart searching for treasure."

Alex looked up. "Treasure?"

Kelbo nodded. "We found a whole bunch of stuff in a secret passageway near the stairs. Guy said it's worth at least a million."

Alex: "I would like to see what you found."

Jerry was worried that Alex would claim everything they found for her own. _Well it did belong to her brother Justin_, he thought. "I'll show you after dinner." Jerry told Alex.

Theresa started clearing the table. She brought back four plates of pie from the kitchen and placed them on the table. "I could go with you to Boston Jerry…"

Jerry was worried about leaving his son alone in the house with Alex. "We should take Max along with us."

Theresa: "You know Max wouldn't want to go. Sonny and Kelbo are… well Sonny is more than capable of taking care of the house and keeping an eye on Max. It's been awhile since we had a weekend alone."

Jerry nodded. He assured himself that Max would be just fine. "Sure, that sounds like a plan Theresa. I'll have to rent a U-Haul for the trip and make hotel reservations. The auction should only be three or four hours. We could take a tour of the city the rest of the time we're there."

Theresa smiled, happy that she would be able to spend some time alone with her husband. "That sounds wonderful."

Jerry finished his dessert and stood up. "I guess I'll show Alex what we found."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 11

Alex looked through Justin's belongings. "It's not here!"

Jerry stood in the corner of the room with his arms crossed. "What are you looking for anyways?"

Alex turned to Jerry. "I'm looking for my ring and a book. I won't leave this house until I find them."

Jerry: "Well we didn't find any books lying around."

Alex: "It must be somewhere in this house."

Jerry: "What's the name of the book?"

Alex: "I don't know… The words are written in Gaelic."

Jerry: "Isn't that like Irish or Scottish?"

Alex: "In this case it would be Irish. I would need a translator once I found it."

"I could ask Mr. Roberts if Aunt Beth ever found any books. A translator should be easy to find." Jerry wanted to ask Alex what was so important about the book she was after but decided against it. The less he knew the better.

Jerry: "You know Mr. Beakerman would probably know exactly what you're looking for. He seems to know a lot about the history in this area. Maybe even more than Mr. Roberts does."

Alex's eyes widened. "Zeke Beakerman is still alive?"

Jerry shook his head. "I meant his descendant Cory. I could introduce you to him."

Alex: "I could never stand being around Zeke when I was alive. He was a complete idiot. I can only imagine what his descendant is like."

Jerry scratched his head. "Oh… Well I guess you two shouldn't meet then. I should still ask Cory if he knows anything about any books."

Jerry: "Do you have any problem if we sell this stuff?"

Alex: "I only want the book and my ring back. I don't care what you do with the rest of Justin's belongings."

Jerry walked over to the table. "We did find some jewelry the other day …"

Jerry picked up a shoebox off the table and dumped the contents out.

Alex immediately reached for a silver ring that still appeared to be in excellent condition. A garnet stone was set in the ring. "My ring!" Alex exclaimed. Alex slipped the ring on her finger.

Jerry: "Great so we're halfway there. Now we just have to find this book."

Alex ignored Jerry and stared at her the ring. Memories of long ago flooded through her mind.

…

Centuries ago… In France…

Juliet lightly shook Alexandra until she was awake. "Alexandra… wake up."

Alexandra yawned and looked out the window. "What time is it Juliet? It's still dark out…"

Juliet smiled. "A few minutes after midnight. Happy birthday my love."

Alexandra sat up and groaned. "You couldn't have wished me a happy birthday in the morning?"

Juliet grabbed a wrapped box off of the nightstand. "It's a custom in my house to begin the celebrations after midnight."

Juliet handed Alexandra the box. Alexandra opened it. "It's beautiful Juliet!" She slipped the ring on her finger. "And it fits perfectly."

Juliet: "I took your ring size when you were asleep. I hope you're not angry with me."

"Of course not." Alexandra reached over and kissed Juliet.

Juliet broke the kiss. "I have another surprise for you Alexandra."

Juliet removed her nightgown and threw it to the floor. She began to kiss Alexandra even more passionately. Alexandra let Juliet slowly undress her. Juliet kissed every part of Alexandra's body.

"Make love to me Juliet…" Alexandra moaned.

Hours later Alexandra and Juliet lay silently in each other's arms. Their legs were intertwined.

Alexandra opened her eyes and smiled at Juliet. "I enjoyed your second surprise much more than the first…"

Juliet: "Oh? I was rather hoping that you liked my first gift."

Alexandra: "I do. This ring will never leave my fingers as long as I live."

Juliet stroked Alexandra's hair. "My parents are having a ball tonight in honor of your birthday." Juliet sighed and added. "And as a farewell party…"

Alexandra sat up and looked away. "I don't want to leave you Juliet… but father was insistent that I return home to Castlestone."

Juliet: "Don't be so sad Alexandra… I'll be with you in a few months. November by the latest. And then we'll have the rest of our lives to spend together. I swear it."

Alexandra: "I'll be so lonely without you Juliet."

Juliet: "I promised my father that I would finish school first. You know how important my studies are to me."

Alexandra grinned. "You sound just like my brother."

Juliet: "So Justin has accepted the fact that I'll be living under his roof… and sleeping with his sister."

Alexandra frowned. "It's my house as well Juliet." Her frown soon became a bright smile. "But I told Justin much about you… about us in my last letter. He said that he can't wait to meet you."

Juliet: "And your father?"

Alexandra: "Father will not mind us being together either. He always lets me have whatever I want. Besides Father is in debt to the French for their support against the British. He'll probably want to adopt you when he finds out that that you're French."

Alexandra: "Unfortunately we'll have to deal with Justin's fiancé Harper… Hopefully she won't bother you too much."

Juliet: "I thought you two were friends since childhood."

Alexandra: "We were… I just don't trust that girl. Harper is only marrying Justin for our money. I can't prove it but I just know in my heart that she is."

Juliet: "Have you talked to Justin yet about how you feel about him marrying Harper?"

Alexandra: "No, but I plan to when I get back home…"

The words made Alexandra finally realize that she would be parted from her lover. Tears began to form in her eyes. Juliet wiped away a tear that had rolled down Alexandra's cheek.

Juliet: "Alexandra… could you promise me something?"

Alexandra: "Of course… What is it Juliet?"

Juliet: "That you won't shed anymore tears… I hate to see you so sad."

Alexandra: "I'll try Juliet…"

Juliet: "If it helps at all just remember that I'll be back in your arms soon enough."

"I will…" Alexandra soon fell asleep with Juliet by her side.

…

Back in the present day…

Jerry headed to the living room. Kelbo sat on the recliner watching television while Theresa waited for Sonny and Max to return.

Theresa put down her book. "Where's Alex?"

Jerry sat down on the couch next to his wife. "In the other room." Upon finding her ring, Alex almost seemed to be in a trance. Jerry decided it was best to leave her alone.

Jerry: "I gave Alex one of the rings we found. I think Aunt Beth would have wanted her to have something."

Kelbo shrugged. "I hope it's not worth that much."

Jerry: "Probably not. The jewelry is just a small fraction of what the gold and gems are worth anyways. By the way Kelbo if you do anymore searching around the house and come across any old books let me know."

Kelbo: "Books?"

Jerry: "I… I heard that Justin was a book collector. He may have hidden some of his collection in one of the passageways or somewhere close by. I don't want you throwing anything out that could be valuable. Some of those books might be worth a fortune even if they're in bad condition. Just let me know if you find anything."

Kelbo: "Ok…"

Jerry glanced at Theresa. "So what do you think about Alex Theresa?"

Theresa: "She seems… nice."

Jerry: "So you don't have a problem if she stays… She won't be able to help around the house that much… with her diabetes. But she won't be in the way either. You probably won't even see her that much."

Theresa: "I don't mind if she stays with us. Alex is able to manage her diabetes without any help?"

Jerry nodded. "Yeah, she's got that all covered. Alex just needs her rest."

Theresa: "I have to talk to Sonny when she gets back and let her know that we'll be in Boston this weekend."

Jerry: "Right."

Theresa: "I don't want to bother you with this now Jerry but I was thinking we could talk to Max's teachers tomorrow…"

Jerry: "About putting him in regular classes? I guess I could leave work early tomorrow. I don't think Jennifer and Ryan will mind."

Theresa: "I know that you said that you would handle this later but the way things have been piling up on us…"

Jerry: "I know what you mean Theresa. Between finding all of this stuff, hiring Sonny, and Alex just showing up, this week's already been hectic. We're probably better off meeting with Max's teachers before something else happens."

Jerry: "I'll leave work after the lunch rush. I could meet you at the school and we'll sit down with Max's teacher."

Jerry and Theresa were interrupted by Sonny and Max returning home. Cory was with them.

Theresa smiled at her son. "Did you have fun today Max?"

Max nodded and smiled back.

Cory: "The kid goes through more quarters than I do at the Laundromat."

Jerry took out his wallet. "How much do I owe you Cory?"

Cory shook his head. "Don't worry about it Mr. Russo." He turned to Sonny. "So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Sonny glanced over at Jerry and Theresa for approval.

Jerry: "Actually Sonny you can take the day off tomorrow. We're meeting with Max's teachers and we might run late."

Cory: "So I'll be here around noon."

Sonny nodded. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow Cory."

Theresa: "Thank you again Cory for watching Max."

Cory: "Not a problem. I'll see you all later."

Jerry: "Actually Cory I had a question about something Aunt Beth had told me about our family."

Cory: "What is it?"

Jerry: "Well I'll walk you to your car. Theresa needs to talk to Sonny, Kelbo, and Max about something anyways."

Jerry and Cory stepped out of the house and walked over to Cory's car. Jerry stopped to admire Cory's car. "That has to be a $60,000 Lexus."

Cory: "I paid $70,000 for it actually."

Jerry: "I was thinking about buying Theresa a Lexus after we sell everything."

Cory: "I could help you pick one out."

Jerry: "I would appreciate it… I wanted to ask you a question. Aunt Beth said something to me about a book some time back. She said the book was written in Gaelic but she never mentioned a title or name. I don't know if she ever found it but she believed the book was somewhere in the house. Justin supposedly had it in his possession."

Cory thought for a moment. "I'm assuming it was in Irish Gaelic. The book would have probably belonged to Harper."

Jerry: "That's Justin's wife…"

Cory: "Ex-wife."

Jerry: "Are you sure it belonged to Harper?"

Cory: "Most likely. Harper's family would have been the only Irish settlers in the area at the time. Even today there are only a few families that are of Irish decent in Castlestone. I doubt anyone else at the time would have owned a book written in Gaelic. The Irish weren't really seen in a good light back then."

Jerry: "Do you think the book would still be here?"

Cory: "Maybe. Unless Justin discarded it. From what I've heard Justin threw Harper out of the house right before he died. She only had the clothes on her back. He probably kept her belongings."

Jerry: "What happened to Harper?"

Cory: "I don't know that much about Harper or why Justin divorced her. He never told Zeke about that. Harper probably started a new life elsewhere."

Cory unlocked his car and stepped inside. "If this book was valuable or unique then it should still be in the house. Justin would have probably hid it somewhere to keep it safe. He was known as something of a hoarder. I tell you what; I can do some research and see what I come up with."

"Thanks." Jerry waved as the car sped out of the driveway.


	14. Chapter 14

Dark Shadows

Chapter 12

Jerry watched Cory's car drive off before heading back inside. Theresa, Sonny, Kelbo and Max were gathered in the living room. Theresa was giving Sonny some instructions with watching the house for the weekend. Theresa seemed confident that Sonny would have no trouble taking care of things while they were gone. Jerry hoped that his wife was right.

Jerry headed back to the room where he had left Alex. Alex was sitting on the floor against the wall. She ignored Jerry, her mind was obviously elsewhere. Jerry could tell the girl seemed sad, almost despondent.

Jerry: "What's wrong Alex?"

Alex shook her head and sat up. "It's nothing…"

Jerry decided not to press the matter any further. "Theresa has a room set up for you upstairs."

Alex: "I was hoping to have my old room..."

Jerry: "Which room was yours?"

Alex: "It was the third bedroom down the left hallway on the second floor."

Jerry: "That's Max's room now…"

Alex: "It's fine… I'll take whatever room you have."

Alex followed Jerry down the hallway. They passed the living room. Theresa was still talking to Sonny. Theresa noticed Jerry and Alex heading up the stairs. "Oh Alex, are you going to bed already?" Theresa asked.

Jerry: "I was just going to show Alex her room."

Theresa: "Well why don't you come meet your cousin Max first."

Alex walked back downstairs and headed over to where the family was gathered. Jerry followed Alex into the living room; he silently prayed that everything would go smoothly. He didn't want Alex anywhere near Max for fear of what she could do.

Max was standing in front of his mother. Theresa had her hands on his shoulders. "This is our son Max." Theresa stated.

Alex's glanced over at Max. "Hello Max, how old are you?"

Max seemed a bit uneasy. He could sense that something was definitely amiss with Alex. How cold, pale, and distant she seemed. Max quickly muttered that he was twelve before sitting back down next to Sonny.

Theresa: "Sorry about that. Max is a bit shy."

Alex nodded. "I understand... I was shy at that age too."

Theresa pointed over to the sofa where Sonny was sitting. "And this is Sonny. She helps around the house."

Sonny stood up and smiled. "Hi Alex."

Alex's heart was racing; she was already falling in love with the girl in front of her. _She's beautiful…_ Alex thought to herself.

Alex quickly composed herself. She shook Sonny's hand. "Hello Sonny, I'm happy to meet you. I hope we can become close friends."

Theresa: "You'll actually be sharing the third floor with Sonny."

"Maybe we could hang out sometime Alex." Sonny suggested. _God her hands are cold…_

Alex smiled; she still held Sonny's hand and gazed into her eyes. "I would like that…" _Actually I could spend all of eternity with you… _

Thoughts were racing through Sonny's mind as well. _Alex is really pretty. I wonder if she's into girls. No… probably not. _

Jerry: "Alex lost her luggage. Could she borrow a pair of your shoes Sonny?"

Sonny almost didn't hear what Jerry had said, she was too occupied thinking about Alex and wondering if she had any chance with her.

Jerry repeated himself. "Umm… Sonny? Could Alex borrow some of your clothes? It would just be for a few days."

Sonny glanced at Jerry. "Oh I'm sorry…" She turned back to Alex. "Of course you can Alex."

Alex: "Thank you Sonny… You're very kind."

Sonny: "I'm meeting someone tomorrow but if you want we could go shopping Wednesday. Maybe catch a movie…"

Sonny almost blushed from embarrassment. _God I must sound completely desperate. I hope I'm not coming on too strong. I don't want to scare her away._

"Movie?" Alex remembered that Fred had mentioned something about moving pictures.

Jerry: "Well Alex shouldn't go out with her diabetes."

Alex gave Jerry an angry look that told him to stay silent. "Yes, Sonny I would love to go shopping and see a movie with you." She looked into Sonny's eyes. "My… diabetes causes me to sleep most of the day. I'm usually up at night."

Sonny: "Well we could go later. The mall usually closes around nine but the movie theater stays open until midnight. That would give us plenty of time."

Jerry interrupted Sonny. "It's getting late. I should show Alex her bedroom."

Sonny: "Oh… I'll see you later Alex."

Alex: "Of course. Goodnight Sonny."

Jerry led Alex upstairs. "What was that all about? I thought we agreed that you would stay here until you found that book."

Alex: "I never agreed to spend every moment cooped up in the house like some prisoner. I have every right to go out if I want to."

Jerry: "At least promise me you won't hurt anyone if you go out."

Alex: "I won't hurt anyone as long as you can find some blood for me."

Jerry: "I'm working on it. Just be patient. It's not like I can go to Walmart and just buy a two liter bottle of human blood."

Jerry opened the door to Alex's bedroom. He hit the light switch. Alex immediately walked over to the only window in the room and closed the curtains.

Jerry: "The sun doesn't hit this side of the house that much. You should be pretty comfortable here. The door locks so no one will disturb you."

Alex looked around. There was a bed and an antique armoire that furnished the room. "Justin was just starting work on the third floor when I became a vampire…"

Jerry: "You were bitten?"

Alex shook her head. "No, I was cursed… The book I'm searching for might be able to cure me of this affliction."

Jerry became impatient. "Might? So you don't even know…"

Alex interrupted Jerry. "All I know is that the book contained a spell that caused me to become like this. I assume there has to be something in the book that may reverse the spell."

Jerry: "And if there isn't?"

Alex sat on the bed and gazed at the floor. "I don't know what I'll do then..."

"Well we'll worry about it later. We have to find the book first anyways." Jerry decided to change the subject. "I guess you heard that Theresa and I are heading to Boston this weekend."

Alex: "Don't worry… your son and brother will be safe."

Sonny was heading to her room. She passed Alex's room and peeked inside. "Goodnight again Mr. Russo… Goodnight Alex."

Jerry noticed Sonny standing by the doorway. "Goodnight."

Alex waved over to Sonny. "Goodnight Sonny."

Sonny smiled and headed to her room.

Jerry waited for Sonny to pass by. He turned to Alex. "And she's off limits too."

Alex looked up at Jerry. "Excuse me?"

Jerry: "Sonny may not be family but the same rules go for her too."

Alex: "I assure you that no harm will come to her. Does she have any suitors?"

Jerry assumed that Sonny and Cory were dating. Theresa had not informed Jerry about Sonny's sexual orientation. "She has a date with Cory Beakerman tomorrow."

Alex's closed her eyes. _I should have known that I would never find love again._

Jerry was oblivious to Alex's interest in Sonny. "Well I could bring up some magazines for you to read. I'd rather you stay away from my family. No offense… Maybe tomorrow I could bring up the television or…"

Alex interrupted Jerry. "Television?"

Jerry: "I'll tell you about it later…"

Alex shrugged. "Fine…"

The rest of the night Alex sat alone in her new room. She tried reading one of the magazines that Jerry had brought up but she quickly lost interest.

Many thoughts flowed through Alex's mind. She wondered what would happen if she couldn't find a cure. The thought of being cursed for eternity scared her. And facing this all alone was even worse.

Alex thought about Sonny, how the girl in a way reminded her of Juliet. Juliet was always cheerful, always wanting to help others. Alex saw the same qualities in Sonny. Alex definitely wanted to see more of Sonny even though she knew that Sonny would never show her the same affection.

The sun soon began to rise causing Alex to fall into a deep sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 13

Tuesday afternoon…

Sonny was sitting alone on a park bench waiting for Cory. Like the day before the sun shined brightly above, it was quite warm out. Today there were only a few people in the park. Sonny noticed a father pushing his daughter on a nearby swing set. She watched them intently. The little girl seemed so happy.

Cory came back with two sodas. He handed one to Sonny. "I found a vending machine nearby. I guess the vendors left the park after Labor Day."

Sonny opened the soda and took a sip. "This is fine. Thank you."

Cory sat down across from Sonny. "How long have you lived in Castlestone?"

Sonny placed her soda back down on the table. "For only a few days. I lived in Portland before I moved in with the Russo's."

Cory: "You said you're family was from Wisconsin?"

Sonny nodded. "I moved to Massachusetts to live with my father last year."

Cory decided to press further hoping that Sonny would finally open up to him. "What made you come east?"

Sonny was silent for a few moments. "My parents divorced when I was ten. My father … he couldn't take living with my mother anymore and just left."

Cory: "That must have been hard for you and your sister…"

Sonny: "It was… I tried not to let it get to me but… Mom blamed us for dad leaving. She started drinking after dad left and took most of her anger out on me."

"So how bad was it?" Cory noticed that Sonny seemed distraught with the question. "Sorry I shouldn't be prying like this."

Sonny shook her head. "No it's alright. To be honest I never talked to anyone about this before… outside of dad and Mitchie."

Sonny: "Usually mom would just ignore us… If she wasn't drinking then she was still nice to Mitchie but she wanted nothing to do with me."

Cory: "Why did your mother treat you differently from your sister?"

Sonny: "I think it was because I was dad's favorite. I got my nickname from him. He always said I was his little sunshine."

Cory: "I see…"

Sonny: "When mom was drinking… that's when we had to be careful around her."

Cory: "Was she physically abusive?"

Sonny: "A few times she was… she used to use one of my father's old belts that he left behind. That made it even worse. But usually if mom was drinking she would be passed out in her room by the time we got home from school… so we were safe. My aunt and uncle would let us stay over their house a few weekends so we were able to avoid her most of the time when she was like that."

Cory: "Did your uncle and aunt know what was going on at home with your mother?"

Sonny: "They knew that she drank but we never told them everything that was going on. Mitchie and I knew that if we told anyone about mom then we would be taken away… and possibly separated. The fear of being separated was much worse than living with our mother. All we really had was each other."

Cory: "Your aunt and uncle wouldn't have taken the two of you in?"

Sonny: "It wasn't that they didn't want us but they didn't want the responsibility that came with having children. They never had any children of their own. They wanted to have time for themselves… but they still cared for us too. We didn't have any other relatives to stay with or at least that we knew about."

Cory: "I hate to ask but what about your father? Where was he during this time?"

Sonny: "Dad was an aspiring musician. He toured around the country with his band."

Cory: "Band? Was it anyone I might have heard of?"

Sonny: "_The Midwest Keynotes_. Dad was the drummer. They were really good."

Cory: "I never heard of them."

Sonny: "They only released one album. It never got that much airtime. I have their CD, I could let you borrow it."

Cory: "Sure, I'd be interested to hear them. What type of music do they play?"

Sonny: "It's a combination of rock and jazz."

Cory: "Interesting… I might just download their album. Did your father ever come by to visit you?"

Sonny shook her head. "He didn't want to deal with mom. But he used to call a few times a year. Our birthday and holidays… Later I found out that dad sent us letters and presents but mom would just throw them away."

Cory: "So what led you to finally move in with your father?"

Sonny: "Dad moved to Westwood a few years ago. It's about an hour away from Boston. I guess he was tired of constantly traveling around and playing small venues. He used to be an accountant so he went back to doing that. He asked us if we wanted to come live with him. Mitchie never forgave dad for abandoning us."

Cory: "And you?"

Sonny: "I guess I kind of understood why he left… At first I didn't want to move away from Mitchie. But everything just kept getting worse…"

Cory: "With your mother?"

Sonny: "And at school. I used to be bullied... It got really bad at times."

Cory: "I assume the other students found out you were gay?"

Sonny: "I was always bad at hiding things… I don't really know how they knew."

Cory: "When did you discover that you were gay?"

Sonny: "I guess I always knew that I was different… I was never into boys. Instead I found myself attracted to the other girls at school."

Sonny: "It started freshman year. The insults… Some of the girls would push me into the locker. They would trip me and knock my books out of my hands. A few of the guys would even push me around."

Cory: "Was this why you started cutting yourself?"

Sonny wiped her eyes. "I… I started cutting when I was twelve... almost thirteen. I had a huge fight with my mother over something. I can't remember that much… but I ran to the bathroom crying. I thought about swallowing every pill in the medicine cabinet. I noticed a box of disposable razors on the shelf."

Sonny: "I figured it would be quicker… and easier. I put the razor against my wrist… my hand was shaking. I started to cut… I guess I was so scared and messed up that I couldn't do it right. It hurt really bad but it also made me feel better too… it also made me feel like I could express how I was truly feeling on the inside."

"I always kept everything bottled inside. Everyone thinks I'm just this happy, carefree girl but they don't know how I really feel." Sonny cried. "And they don't care."

Cory placed an arm around Sonny's shoulder. "You're wrong… People do care…"

…..

Later that evening…

The waiter brought Cory and Sonny their meals. Cory kept glancing over at Sonny, making sure that the girl was alright. Sonny seemed to be much better now.

Cory broke off one of the lobster legs. He uses a fork to get the meat out. "How are your crab cakes?"

Sonny sipped some water. "They're really good…"

Cory: "Want some of my lobster? I didn't exaggerate when I said they have the best lobster going."

Sonny: "No thanks. I never really liked lobster."

Cory: "No kidding?"

Sonny smiled. "They look gross."

Cory: "Yeah but they taste good so I guess that makes up for their appearance."

Sonny laughed out loud which caused the waiter and a few of the patrons nearby to glance at them. They were probably more curious to why a near 30 year old man was dining with a teenager. Cory just ignored them.

Cory smiled at Sonny. "It's good to see you smiling and laughing again."

Sonny took another sip of water. "I think just talking about everything really helped. I really appreciate you listening to me."

Cory dipped his fork into the melted butter. "Don't mention it." He looked up at Sonny. "I'm glad I could help."

Sonny: "So why don't you have a girlfriend?"

Cory: "I guess I never found the right girl. Most of the girls I went to school with were real bit... well let's just say there was a conflict in personalities. And it's my luck that every girl from Maine to Arizona seems to get married right out of college or in some cases high school. Or at least the good ones do."

Sonny: "I'm sorry. I'm sure you'll meet someone soon."

Cory: "It's fine. If you don't mind me asking, why don't you have someone in your life?"

Sonny shook her head. "Part of the reason is that I've been too busy with taking care of my father and working…"

Cory: "Is your father alright?"

Sonny: "He has cancer…"

Cory: "I'm sorry. So that's why you moved in with him? Sorry I should let you enjoy your dinner instead of constantly bothering you."

Sonny: "It's ok… I'm actually feeling better talking about this with you."

Sonny: "I moved in with my father right before my senior year. I couldn't go through another year at my high school. The bullying kept getting worse."

Cory: "Was there anyone you could talk to? A principal or teacher perhaps?"

Sonny: "I talked to a teacher once but it didn't help much. My school wasn't that concerned about bullying. I mean if the teachers saw it they would put a stop to it but they wouldn't take any preventative measures."

Sonny: "My home life wasn't that much better either. When mom found out that I was gay she didn't take the news well."

Cory: "Did you come out to your family?"

Sonny: "I didn't dare tell my mother. She noticed that I was looking though some LGBT sites. I told Mitchie a few months before I left."

Cory: "What's your relationship like with your sister?"

Sonny: "Well as I mentioned we're very close. But Saturday was the first time I spoke to her for awhile. We were both kind of busy this summer."

Cory: "You said that she's working for Disney?"

Sonny: "She just filmed a movie for them."

Cory: "Oh? I'll have to catch it."

Sonny: "I really should introduce you two. I know she would like you."

Cory: "What's she like?"

Sonny: "In a lot of ways we're the same. But Mitchie is much stronger than I am…"

Cory: "You shouldn't sell yourself short like that. You're definitely strong to survive what you went though."

Sonny smiled. "Thank you… But Mitchie has always been protective of me. I guess she takes the older sister role seriously even though she's only a few minutes older than me."

Cory: "Was Mitchie bullied as well?"

Sonny: "No, Mitchie was actually pretty popular in high school. If it wasn't for her probably the whole school would have turned on me. Most of the students just ignored me. There were only a few students that set out to make my life a living hell. And they succeeded. Even Mitchie couldn't stop them. We were in separate classes most of the time."

Cory: "And Mitchie has accepted the fact that you're gay?"

Sonny: "I think she knew all along. Between my lack of interest in boys and me constantly staring at girls, Mitchie must have realized that I was gay. She probably heard everything said about me at school too. After I told her, Mitchie said that she loved me and she would always be my sister no matter what."

Cory: "Does Mitchie know that you cut?"

Sonny: "I was always careful to keep everything hidden. I never changed in front of anyone. I wore long sleeved clothing or used bracelets to hide any scars. I cut on my legs and stomach so no one would see. When I started cutting again I started getting careless… Theresa almost found out yesterday."

Cory: "I hope you'll call some of those numbers I gave you the next time you feel like cutting…"

Sonny: "I promise I will…"

Cory decided to take Sonny's word for now. "So you moved in with your father?"

Sonny: "It was the last week of summer vacation… I was at the mall shopping for some new clothes. I ran into a group of kids from school. They promised that senior year it would get even worse for me. One of them laughed and said that he was going to rape me and that would turn me straight."

Cory felt disgusted with how people could be so cruel. "Christ…"

Sonny: "I ran home and I called dad. I begged him to let me stay with him. I didn't tell him why but he was happy that I was moving in. At this point he didn't have cancer yet. The doctors found out after the holidays."

Sonny: "I told mom and Mitchie that I was staying with dad. Mitchie didn't want me to go… My mother told me she was happy that I would finally be out of her life."

Cory: "How did your senior year go?"

Sonny: "Much better… I made new friends right away. This whole area is much more tolerant of gays and bisexuals than Wisconsin is... I mean I still hear mean comments but not as much as before… I was surprised that they even had LGBT meetings at school. I had stopped cutting… and I finally felt truly happy for the first time in years..."

Sonny: "I met Miranda at a LGBT meeting last October… we started going out shortly afterwards."

Cory: "How long were you two a couple?"

Sonny stared at her food. "Only a few months… She was my first love… I gave my heart to her. But I was nothing more than a fling to her. Miranda was only looking to have some fun… that's the only reason she attended the meetings."

Cory: "Did that cause you to start cutting again?"

Sonny nodded. "Yes… I almost killed myself when we broke up. Hearing about my father's cancer caused everything to get much worse."

Cory: "How bad is it?"

Sonny: "The cancer spread all over… The doctor's have only given him a 40 percent chance of living. After graduation dad told me that he wanted me to go out and live my life. He didn't want me to stay around and watch him die."

Sonny: "I moved to Portland in June. I don't know why I chose this area. Something just told me to move to this area. I found a job immediately. I worked at the Apple Inn for a few months."

Cory: "I've stayed there a few times."

Sonny: "It's a beautiful hotel. But they didn't need me around after the summer season. For the past few weeks I lived on my savings and some money that dad sent me. I was really fortunate that I found another job. The Russo's are really nice. I don't know where I would be without them."

Cory: "You mentioned something about an audition in California?"

Sonny: "Yes Mitchie told some people at Disney about me. She said they were interested to have me try out for the show _So Random!_"

Cory: "I never heard of it… It's rare I get a chance to sit down and watch TV."

Sonny: "It's a sketch comedy show. Mitchie and I used to watch it all the time when we were younger."

Cory: "So it's something like _Saturday Night Live_? That was one of my favorite shows or at least when they still had Adam Sandler and Chris Farley on. I'm really beginning to show my age now…"

Sonny laughed. "I actually liked the older episodes. Mitchie and I used to watch the reruns all the time. But _So Random!_ is oriented more towards kids."

Cory: "Do you want to go into acting?"

Sonny: "When we were little Mitchie and I dreamt about being famous… We were both into music."

Cory: "Oh? You're a musician too?"

Sonny: "I sing and play the guitar. Dad taught me when I was younger."

Cory: "I'd love to hear you play."

Sonny: "Well I sold my guitar to make rent last month… I'm thinking about buying a new one with the security deposit I got back."

Cory: "So why don't you try out for the show? It has to be better than just wasting your life here. I mean the Russo's can't be paying you that much."

Sonny: "I guess I'm too scared to try. I'd rather write songs than perform them anyways. Mitchie is really the performer in the family."

Cory: "Well I hope you change your mind. You deserve more in life than this."

Sonny: "I'll think about it."

Cory decided not to push the matter any further. After dinner, Cory and Sonny made some small talk over dessert. Afterwards Cory drove Sonny back to the house.

Sonny climbed into the car and smiled. "Thank you for everything Cory."

Cory started his car and pulled out of the parking lot. "You're welcome. I'm thinking about going hiking tomorrow. You're more than welcome to join me."

Sonny: "I'd love to but I'm going to the movies with someone."

Cory kept his eyes on the road. "Oh? So who's the lucky girl?"

Sonny: "Her name is Alex but it's not a date. I wish it was…"

Cory: "So this girl doesn't know that you like her?"

Sonny: "I don't even know if she likes girls."

Cory: "Well like my father once said, you'll never know unless you ask. How did you meet her anyways?"

Sonny: "Alex is staying with us for awhile. I think she's a distant relative of Mr. Russo."

Cory: "Jerry never mentioned that he was having company. So what's she like?"

Sonny: "She seems nice. I met Alex yesterday."

Cory: "So the two of you hit it off?"

Sonny: "Well the airline lost her luggage so I offered to go shopping with her tomorrow. I asked if she wanted to see a movie."

Cory: "Maybe she's interested in you then."

Sonny sighed. "Maybe…"

Cory: "Is something wrong?"

Sonny: "No, but it's just that I don't want to get hurt again. I never got over Miranda."

Cory: "I see…"

Cory pulled into the Russo's driveway. All of the lights were on at the house.

Cory glanced at his watch. It was close to 7:00. "I'll probably see you around Sonny. Kelbo might invite me over if he goes searching around the house for valuables. But give me a call anytime if you want to talk."

Sonny stepped out of the car. "Sure thing and thanks again Cory."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 14

Theresa was alone in the study knitting. Sonny walked in the room. Theresa looked up. "So how was dinner?"

Sonny sat down on the other end of the sofa. "It was nice."

Theresa put her knitting equipment down on the table. "I didn't know that you were interested in Mr. Beakerman."

"It's not that. I'm actually trying to set him up with my sister Mitchie." It was a partial lie. Sonny still wanted to set her sister up with Cory. She thought he would be perfect for her. But Sonny didn't want to tell Theresa the real reason of why she had met with Cory Beakerman.

Theresa: "Does your sister live close by?"

Sonny: "Mitchie lives in California. She's an actress."

Theresa: "Really? What movies has she been in?"

Sonny: "She just shot a movie that should be out next year. I think it's called _Camp Hip Hop_. She made a few appearances on _So Random! _too."

Theresa snapped her fingers. "I thought you looked familiar. You reminded me of someone but I couldn't put my finger on who. Max watches _So Random! _sometimes. Well to be honest I watch it myself from time to time. I must have seen the episode your sister was on. You really look like your sister now that I think of it."

Sonny: "We're actually twins."

Theresa: "Do people ever confuse the two of you? I could only imagine how annoying it would be especially when your sister's famous."

Sonny: "When Mitchie's new movie comes out I'll probably be stopped on the street by total strangers wanting an autograph."

Theresa: "So you never wanted to go into acting yourself?"

Sonny: "I'm more into writing music. But Mitchie actually wanted me to try out for _So Random!_ She told the studio executives about me and they seemed eager to meet me."

Theresa: "That sounds like a wonderful opportunity there. You should definitely try out for it."

Sonny: "I'm starting to think that I should do it. I'll be able to see Mitchie more often and I'll have more opportunities out in California. I don't feel comfortable leaving after all your family did for me though…"

Theresa lightly patted Sonny's hand and offered her a smile. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to do more with your life. Just do us a favor and give us some notice if you do decide to leave."

Sonny: "Of course I will. I think I'll probably leave right before the holidays. I wanted to see Mitchie for Christmas."

Theresa: "We'll be set by then. Jerry can hire a housekeeper. And I really believe that Max is doing better each day."

Sonny: "How did the meeting with Max's teachers go?"

Theresa: "Very well. In fact his teacher feels that Max should be able to handle going to class with the other students. He starts next week."

Sonny: "That's awesome. So where is everyone?"

Theresa glanced at her watch. "Jerry took Max to Clucky's after the meeting. They should be home pretty soon."

Sonny: "And Alex…"

Theresa: "You seem to be really fond of her."

Sonny's voice rose to a high pitch. "What! I am not."

Theresa chuckled. "I think it's pretty obvious that you are. The way that you were staring and attempting to flirt with her the other day. I didn't think you asked her to the movies for the heck of it."

Sonny: "Sorry… I didn't want to upset you or Mr. Russo since she's your relative."

Theresa shrugged. "Well she's a distant relative on Jerry's side so I don't have a problem with it. To be honest I doubt Jerry cares either. But I expect you two to be discreet with Max around."

Sonny sighed. "I doubt Alex feels the same way anyways…"

Theresa: "I don't know about that. You two would make a cute couple."

Sonny: "So where is Alex?"

Theresa: "Alex went treasure hunting with Kelbo after she woke up. I guess she's interested in the house and its history as well."

On cue Kelbo came into the room. Exhausted, he slumped down on the couch in between Sonny and Theresa.

Theresa glanced over at Kelbo. "Where's Alex? I thought she was with you."

Kelbo wiped the sweat off his brow. "She's still looking around the house for more passageways. I gave up after searching through the basement." Kelbo turned to Sonny. "Think you can get a soda for me."

Theresa: "Why don't you get it yourself Kelbo?"

Kelbo pointed at Sonny. "I thought she was the maid."

Sonny forced a smile. "Sure I'll get it. Pepsi or Coke?"

Theresa stood up, furious with her brother-in-law. "Don't worry about it Sonny. I'll get Kelbo his soda. I wouldn't want him to exert himself with all the work he does around here."

Kelbo moved over to Theresa's seat. He put his feet on the table. "Make it a Pepsi."

Furious, Theresa stormed right out of the room. Kelbo glanced over at Sonny. "What's wrong with her?"

Sonny just rolled her eyes at Kelbo. She assumed that Theresa only volunteered so that she could get away from her brother-in-law and calm herself down. Sonny had to agree with Theresa that Kelbo could be quite annoying at times.

Sonny turned on the television and flipped through the channels hoping that Kelbo wouldn't bother her anymore. A few minutes later Jerry and Max came into the study.

Jerry handed Kelbo a soda. "Theresa really seems angry about something."

Kelbo shrugged and grabbed the soda. "Women… you can't live with them, you can't shoot them… Hey this is diet soda! I wanted regular!"

Sonny smiled at Max who was holding a bucket of chicken. "Hi Max."

Max sat next to Sonny. "Hey Sonny. Want some chicken? It's Cajun style."

Sonny grabbed a piece of chicken from the bucket. "Thank you Max." Without asking Kelbo grabbed a few pieces of chicken for himself.

Max pointed at the television. "What's on?"

"Not much." Sonny offered Max the remote.

Max just shook his head. "I'm good."

Sonny flipped through a few more channels until she reached a music channel. "Oh this is my favorite song."

Jerry glanced over at the television. "Who's this?"

Sonny kept her eyes glued to the television. "Carly Rae Jepsen." Sonny began to sing along.

_I trade my soul for a wish_

_Pennies and dimes for a kiss_

_I wasn't looking for this_

_But now you're in my way_

Alex came into the room. She was wearing the same dress from last night. She was angry that she still hadn't found the book yet. Kelbo had been no help whatsoever. He constantly complained the whole time. Alex decided to try again in a few days. She knew there had to be another passageway somewhere in the house.

Sonny looked up and noticed Alex standing by the doorway. "Oh, hi Alex!"

Alex's attention was elsewhere. She ignored Sonny and walked right in front of the television and stared right at the screen. Her eyes widened in amazement.

_Hey I just met you _

_And this is crazy,_

_But here's my number,_

_So call me, maybe?_

_And all the other boys,_

_Try to chase me,_

_But here's my number,_

_So call me, maybe?_

"What sorcery is this? REVEAL YOURSELF TINY SONGSTRESS!" Alex exclaimed. She began pounding the side of the cabinet with her fist with the hope that the person on the TV would show themselves.

Sonny, Kelbo, and Max stared at Alex in disbelief. Jerry rubbed his temple with his hands, wondering how he was going to explain Alex's behavior this time around.

Alex pointed at the screen as another band came on. "How many minstrels reside in this strange picture?"

Jerry tried to alleviate everyone's concerns. "Alex's blood sugar levels are really low." He grabbed Alex's arm. "We need to get your medicine right now."

Jerry had to almost drag Alex out of the room. When they were far enough, Jerry turned to his guest. "Can you possibly get your shit together? Thank God Theresa was downstairs, she would have thought you were on drugs or something if she saw you acting like that."

Alex broke away from Jerry's grasp. "Unhand me!" Her eyes once again turned blood red.

Jerry stepped back. "I'm sorry!" He took a deep breath. "Look, how about I show you my computer… It might help show you how the world has changed."

Sonny ran over to Alex and Jerry. "Are you alright Alex?"

Jerry nodded. "Alex just needed a shot of insulin."

Alex nodded in unison. "Yes, I'm fine now."

Sonny gave Alex a look of concern. "Ok… I hope your alright. Do you still want to go out tomorrow?"

Before Jerry could tell Sonny that Alex should stay home, Alex answered, "Of course."

Jerry knew it was a bad idea for Alex to go out in public. Still, he knew that he wouldn't be able to convince Alex otherwise.

Jerry sighed. "I guess I could give you girls a ride to the mall."

Alex ignored Jerry. All she could think about was Sonny.

_I swear that I'll make you all mine… for all of eternity._

A/N: Song Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. I used a line from the movie Dark Shadows. I do not own anything other than a few characters I created.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 15

Wednesday Night

Alex stepped out of the dressing room. "How do I look?" she asked Sonny.

Sonny stared at the new dress that Alex had on. She carefully picked her words. "You look great Alex..." Sonny wanted to say that Alex looked stunning and that she couldn't take her eyes off her but she didn't have the courage to say so.

Alex glanced at the mirror and smiled at her reflection. "I think I'll buy it." _I'm glad Sonny likes it…_ she thought.

Sonny waited in the store while Alex changed back into her clothes. They had spent the past few hours at the mall. Alex had bought a whole new wardrobe while Sonny bought a few new outfits for herself. Sonny had also purchased a new guitar with the refund she received from the security deposit.

An announcement came over the speakers alerting shoppers that the mall would be closing in ten minutes. Alex paid for everything with Jerry's credit card. Sonny and Alex then headed over to the parking lot where Jerry was waiting.

Alex handed Jerry her bags. "This should do for now."

Jerry looked inside the bags, his eyes widened when he saw the price tags. "When I lent you my credit card I didn't mean that you could max it out."

Alex: "Might I remind you that what I spent is only a small fraction of what my brother's belongings are worth."

Jerry sighed. "I guess… So did you girls have fun?"

Sonny placed her bags and new guitar in the backseat. "I did." She turned to Alex. "What movie do you want to see Alex?"

Alex: "I don't know… Why don't you pick?"

Jerry handed Sonny twenty dollars for the tickets. "Well I'll be back in a few hours. I'll probably grab some dinner first." Jerry climbed into the car and drove off.

Sonny turned to Alex. "How about the new Batman movie? I still haven't seen it yet."

Alex slowly nodded. "Sure." She had no idea what Sonny was talking about.

Alex followed Sonny back to the mall. The movie theater was inside the mall close to the entrance. Sonny paid for the tickets and ordered a large popcorn and a soda. The theater was practically empty save for three other patrons, a young couple and a lone man sitting on opposite sides of the theater. Sonny and Alex sat in the back.

The air conditioner hit Alex immediately. She started shivering.

Sonny frowned. "The theaters always blast the air conditioning."

Alex tried rubbing her hands together to keep warm. She still wore the same dress and sweater that Jerry had picked out for her. A vampire felt the cold even more since they were partially coldblooded creatures.

Sonny noticed that Alex was still shivering. "Are you alright Alex? Do you want to go home?"

Alex shook her head. "I'm fine…"

Sonny took off her jacket. She handed it to Alex. "Well at least wear this."

Alex: "But you'll be cold…"

Sonny smiled. "It doesn't bother me." _Especially when you're here by my side to keep me warm._

Sonny offered Alex some of her popcorn. Alex politely declined. "I have a strict diet."

Sonny: "Because of your diabetes?"

Alex nodded. _It's because I'm nothing more than a cold blooded monster who only needs blood to survive. You could never love me Sonny…_ Alex started to feel depressed at the mere thought of being alone forever.

The movie soon started. Alex tried to follow the storyline but soon grew confused by the plot. Bored, Alex rested her head on Sonny's shoulder. Sonny's heart began to race. She thought she was in heaven. Nervous and not knowing how to respond, Sonny tried to watch the movie but all she could think about was Alex.

Two hours later Sonny and Alex left the theater. Jerry's car was nowhere to be seen.

Alex looked around the parking lot. "Where is that man?"

Sonny sat down on a nearby bench. "I guess Mr. Russo should be here pretty soon. Maybe he's still having dinner."

Alex sat down next to Sonny. "So did you enjoy the movie?" Sonny asked.

Alex shrugged. "I still don't understand why that man was dressed like a bat…"

Sonny giggled. "So you didn't see the other movies?"

Alex shook her head. "This was the first movie I ever saw."

Sonny assumed that Alex meant that it was the first Batman movie she had seen. "You can pick the next movie the next time we go out."

Alex was pleased that Sonny wanted to see her again. Something still weighed on her mind though. "How was your date last night with Beakerman?" she asked.

Sonny looked confused. "Date? Oh, you mean with Cory… he's just a friend."

Alex smiled to herself. _Then I still have a chance… _

Alex could barely contain her excitement. "Do you have a suitor?"

Sonny: "Suitor?"

Alex: "An admirer or companion perhaps…"

Sonny sighed. "No, not since high school." Sonny decided to be honest with Alex in the hopes that Alex felt the same way she did. "I broke up with my girlfriend last year. It really hurt…" Sonny stared at the ground.

Alex hated to see Sonny so sad. "I see…" _That's why she seems so distant. _

Sonny looked up at Alex. "I hope you're not freaked out by the fact that I'm gay."

Alex: "Why would I be bothered by the fact that you're happy?"

Sonny shook her head. "No, I what I mean is I'm a lesbian…" Alex seemed confused by the terminology. "I only date girls." Sonny explained.

Alex nodded. She remained silent for a few moments. Sonny hoped that Alex wasn't intolerant of gays. Sonny felt angry with herself. _I probably should have kept my big mouth shut… Now Alex hates me…_

Finally Alex spoke. "I've always been attracted to the fairer sex… I haven't been with anyone since Juliet…"

Sonny felt relieved… as well as hopeful that she could develop a relationship with Alex. "So you're not seeing anyone right now?"

Alex silently shook her head. "No…" Alex stood up and walked over to a nearby tree. She wiped her eyes and looked away.

Sonny walked over to Alex. Before she could ask Alex what was the matter, Mr. Russo pulled into the parking lot.

Jerry opened the car door for Sonny and Alex. "Sorry I'm late girls. I lost track of time."

Sonny climbed into the backseat. "It's ok Mr. Russo. We just got out of the theater a few minutes ago."

Alex sat in the front seat next to Jerry. She didn't say a word the whole time during the ride back. She just stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts. Sonny wondered what she might have said that could have upset Alex.

The car pulled up to the house. Sonny turned to Alex hopeful that she wasn't still mad at her. "I had a nice time tonight Alex. Do you need any help with your bags…?"

"No!" Alex spat, there was a hint of hostility in her voice. "I'm fine!"

Hurt, Sonny grabbed her bags and guitar and ran in the house while Jerry and Alex stayed in the car.

Jerry watched as Sonny ran inside. "What was that all about?" he asked Alex.

Alex ignored Jerry's question. "When are you going to get some blood for me? I'm starving."

Jerry opened the trunk and pulled out a small cooler. "I found someone who works at the hospital who's not adverse to making some extra money on the side. That's why I was late picking you guys up."

Jerry opened the cooler revealing several blood packs inside. "This guy must think I'm some weirdo or a Satanist but he can supply us with as much blood as you need. This should hold you for awhile."

Alex grabbed one of the blood packs. Before she could rip it open Jerry grabbed her arm. "Hold on a second. Let's do this in the garage so no one will see."

Alex nodded and followed Jerry to the garage. The garage was hardly used; it was separate from the house. Other than a few tools, the garage was empty. Once inside Alex tore open the pack and began to feed.

Alex licked her lips once the pack was finished. She turned to Jerry. "More…"

Jerry handed Alex another bag. Disgusted, he turned away as she devoured every last drop of blood from the bag. "You should probably save the rest of it for later. I'll can pick up some more next week."

Alex tossed the empty pack on the floor. "Can you get anything fresher? I prefer warm blood."

"You're lucky to get that." Jerry angrily replied.

Alex lightly touched Jerry's arm. "I'm sorry Jerry… Thank you for everything you've done."

Jerry calmed down. "It's alright. I guess I see if I can get something fresher... I'll need some time though."

Alex: "I understand."

Jerry handed Alex a key. "I'm not bringing that stuff into the house. If you get… hungry everything will be here. No one ever uses the garage. Just make sure no one sees you going inside. I don't need Theresa snooping around."

Alex grabbed the key from Jerry. "I'll be careful…" Alex headed out of the garage. "I have to talk to Sonny… and apologize for my behavior."

Jerry nodded. "I think you should."

…..

Sonny had just gotten out of the shower. The water had washed away her tears. She threw on pajama bottoms and a dark t-shirt. In her right hand was a razor blade. _I knew Alex wouldn't want me. She's just like Miranda…_

Sonny sat on her bed. She stared at the blade in her hand. Cory's words rang through her mind. _I hope you'll call some of those numbers the next time you feel like cutting…_

"What's the point…?" Sonny whispered to herself. "No one cares…"

Before Sonny could put the razor against her wrist, she heard a knock at the door.

Sonny looked for a place to hide the razor. "I'll be right there…" Finally Sonny threw it under her pillow. She ran over to the door and opened it.

Alex looked up at Sonny. "May I come in? Please?"

Sonny nodded silently. Alex walked in the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

Sonny sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "I'm sorry Alex. I didn't mean to upset…"

Alex shook her head. "I'm the one who should apologize Sonny… I shouldn't have acted like that. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'm… I'm just… scared."

Sonny: "Scared? Scared of what?"

Thoughts flowed through Alex's mind. _I'm_ _scared of hurting you Sonny…_ _like I hurt Juliet… God you remind me so much of her. Your warm smile… Your kindness… I'm scared of falling in love with you…_

Alex took a deep breath. "It's just that I've been alone for so long…"

Sonny kept her eyes on the floor. "I know how that feels…" She turned to Alex. "So what now?"

Alex's eyes met Sonny's. "I want to spend more time with you Sonny… I want to get to know you better…"

Sonny smiled. "I'd like that… Why don't we go on an official date?"

Alex slid closer to Sonny. She placed a hand on Sonny's leg. "Of course… What do you have in mind?"

Sonny closed her eyes. "Alex… I want to go slow… Please… it's hard for me to trust people completely." _It's hard for me to respond to love._

Alex nodded. "I understand. There's something I have to take care of first anyways."

Sonny: "What's that?"

Alex stood up. "It's a long story… but I'll tell you one day." Alex headed to the door. "Good night Sonny… I'll see you tomorrow?"

Sonny: "Sure! Good night Alex."

Alex started out the door. Sonny called out to her. "Alex…"

Alex turned around. "Yes Sonny…"

Sonny smiled. "I'm worth the wait."

Alex smiled back. "I know Sonny… I'll wait as long as it takes… Good night."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 16

1778 Castlestone, Maine… The Russo Manor

Justin was sitting by the garden sipping a glass of tea. His fiancé soon joined him.

Justin placed his cup down on the table. "Good morning my dear."

Harper smiled and sat down by Justin. "Good morning Justin." She looked up at the blue sky above. "Such a lovely day out."

Justin nodded in agreement. "Alexandra should be arriving today."

Harper frowned. "How long is she staying this time around?"

Justin: "Permanently… Her friend Juliet will be joining us later this year. I hope you two will be able to get along this time."

Harper forced a smile. "Of course… It should be nice having Alexandra and her friend around the house."

A servant approached Justin and Harper. "Sir, a carriage is approaching the house."

Justin: "Is it my sister by chance?"

The servant shrugged. "I'm not sure…"

Harper seemed irritated at the man. "Next time find out who it is before you interrupt us."

The servant stared at the ground. "Sorry Miss Harper…"

Justin: "It's fine Franklin. We should see who it is."

Justin and Harper headed over to the front of the house. Upon recognizing Alexandra, Justin rushed over to his sister and hugged her tightly. "Alexandra, it's been too long. How was France?"

Alexandra giggled. "Justin, you're crushing me!"

Justin let go of his sister, he seemed embarrassed. "Sorry Alex, it's just that I've missed you."

Alex straightened her dress. "And I've missed you brother… Have you heard anything from father?"

Justin: "He's in Virginia as we speak. His enlistment ends in a few months."

Alexandra smiled. "That's wonderful news Justin."

Justin: "The three of us will soon be a family again."

Harper joined the siblings. Alex looked over at Harper. "Harps!"

Harper sighed. "It's Harper… After all this time you still insist on calling me Harps."

"Yep." Alex smirked. "So how have you been?"

Harper calmed down, she held Justin's hand. "Justin and I are doing quite well if you must know."

Alex: "So when's the wedding?"

Justin: "Well we haven't set a date yet…"

Harper gave Justin a stern look. "Nonsense Justin." She turned to Alex. "Justin and I shall be married when the house is completed."

Alex looked up at the unfinished parts of the house. "Looks like you still have a ways to go…"

Harper: "The house would have been completed much sooner but Justin insisted on a third floor."

Justin scratched his head. "Well I only insist on the best. But the house is quite livable. It should be finished by next year."

Alexandra grabbed Justin's arm. "Why don't you show me around then?"

Justin smiled and led his sister inside. "Of course."

…

A month later…

The Russo Manor was filled with guests. All of New England's elite came to the ball that Justin threw in Alexandra's honor. Music filled the entire house making everything appear lively.

Alex ignored the other guests the entire time. She brought a plate of food and a bottle of wine with her into another room and sat alone. She wished that Juliet was here with her. Juliet had always thrown the best parties.

Harper and a young man approached Alex. "There you are Alexandra. We were looking all over for you…"

Alex shrugged. "What do you want Harps?" She took a sip of champagne.

Harper watched with disgust as Alex drank the champagne straight from the bottle. "I can see that you didn't pick up any manners while you were living in France."

Alex: "Nope… I was too busy having fun."

Harper rolled her eyes at Alex. "I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Sir Mason Greyback. He's visiting from London."

Mason attempted to kiss Alexandra's hand. "I'm charmed to make your acquaintance."

Alexandra pulled her hand away. She turned to Harper. "So what the hell is he doing here?"

Mason laughed as he found Alex quite amusing. "You brother and his lovely fiancé invited me to the ball."

"Sir Mason comes from one of the wealthiest and noblest families in England." Harper exclaimed.

Mason smiled. "Yes. My father is actually interested in expanding his business overseas. But this little war is interfering with his plans. I must say you colonists refuse to learn your place."

Harper smiled. "I'm sure this nasty affair shouldn't last that much longer."

Mason nodded. "I agree. I give Washington's army another year at most before they are utterly crushed by the vastly superior British army."

Alexandra finished the last of the champagne. "Nah, the Continental Army is going to kick your asses back to Britain."

Mason and Harper's mouths dropped from shock. Alexandra handed Mason the empty bottle. "The next time you're in England and you see your king, tell him that Alexandra Russo said he can kiss my American ass."

Mason turned pale. "Such insolence… I think I'm going to be sick…"

Harper turned to Mason. "I'm so sorry Sir Mason. Why don't you have a seat over there while I have a word with Miss Alexandra."

Harper grabbed Alex's arm and dragged her to the courtyard while Mason tried to regain his composure.

Alex broke free from Harper's grasp once they were in the courtyard. "Ow Harps! You don't have to grab! You almost tore my dress."

"IT'S HARPER!" Harper screamed. She stomped her foot on the ground in anger. "How could you say that to Sir Mason? Don't you know what an important man he is?"

Alex: "And how can you bring that pitiful excuse of a man into my house and take his side after he insulted General Washington and our military."

Harper: "It's Justin's house. And I just wanted you to meet Sir Mason. He would make a suitable husband for you. The marriage would benefit your family tremendously."

Alex crossed her arms. "One, this house belongs to both me and Justin. Two, I have someone already. And three, unlike you I will marry for love. Not for social standing or money."

Harper: "What are you accusing me of? I'll have you know that I love Justin. And Sir Mason is a perfect British gentleman."

Alexandra: "How can you even support the British Harper? They only drove you and your parents out of Ireland."

Harper: "How dare YOU! My family left Ireland voluntarily."

Alex: "Yeah right…"

Harper stormed back into the house while Alex sat on a bench and stared up at the sky. A few minutes later Justin joined his sister outside.

Justin sat down next to Alex. "You made Harper quite angry."

Alex turned to her brother. "Are you mad at me Justin?"

Justin shook his head. "No… But Harper doesn't know about you and Juliet. I guess she was just looking out for you in regards to Mason." Justin chuckled. "Mason is still lying on the couch from shock. Your words must have really bothered him."

Alex: "How could you let that man into our home. Father would have never…"

Justin interrupted Alex. "We still need friends in England in case General Washington fails. You don't realize the consequences of what will happen if we lose the war."

Alex: "I believe in this cause enough that I'm willing to die for it."

Justin smiled. "You've always been a rebel Alex…"

Alex: "I'm sorry that I upset Harper Justin."

Justin: "It's alright. But look, I need you and Harper to patch things up for now. I'll be leaving in a few weeks for Boston with Zeke. We'll be gone for awhile…"

Alex: "How long?"

Justin: "We're overseeing the construction of a new textile factory. I have to meet with some investors as well. We might be gone for a month, maybe two..."

Alex: "I actually wanted to talk to you about Harper. I… I don't think you two should get married."

Justin sighed. "Can we talk about this after I get back from Boston?"

Alex: "I suppose…"

Justin patted Alex's knee. "It's good to have my sister back home."

The two siblings stayed outside and gazed at the stars above.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 17

Present day… Friday afternoon at the Russo Manor…

Theresa handed Sonny a piece of paper with a few numbers on it. "If there are any problems that's the number of the hotel where we'll be staying at."

Jerry approached Sonny. "I left some money on the counter if you want to order pizza or take Max to Clucky's. That should be enough to last you until Sunday." Jerry looked at his watch. "Kelbo will pick up Max from school in a few hours."

Jerry grabbed the two suitcases and headed to his car. Sonny followed the Russo's outside.

Jerry placed the suitcases in the trunk. "I think you should be all set. I asked Tom if he could stop by after his shift to check up on everything."

Theresa looked up towards the sky; the sun was shining bright above. "The weatherman said we're supposed to get rain later today." Theresa mentioned casually.

Jerry nodded. "The cold front is supposed to move in sooner than they had originally expected." He turned to Sonny. "The thermostat is really easy to work."

Jerry slammed the lid to the trunk. "Shoot! I forgot to call the company about fixing the heat upstairs."

Sonny: "It's ok Mr. Russo… I should have enough blankets to keep warm."

Jerry: "I don't know how cold it will get this weekend. If it gets too cold you can take one of the rooms downstairs."

Theresa: "Why don't you take our room for the weekend Sonny?"

Sonny: "Oh I couldn't impose. I'll be fine… really."

Jerry: "I'll definitely call the heating company after we get back. We'll see you Sunday Sonny."

Sonny waved to the Russo's as their car drove off. She headed back inside.

…..

A few hours later…

Sonny sat in the study practicing her guitar. She was working on a new song. She had the notes down but had trouble coming up with the lyrics.

Kelbo came into the study and turned on the television. Frustrated by the interruption, Sonny put her guitar down. "Hi Kelbo…"

"Hey there Sonny…" Kelbo flipped though the channels. "That wasn't bad… Maybe you could give Theresa some pointers on the guitar. She could use it." Kelbo finally reached the sports channel.

Sonny glanced at the clock near the television. "Shouldn't you be picking Max up from school?"

Kelbo opened up a bag of potato chips. "About that… My back is killing me. Could you do me a favor and pick the kid up from school. I appreciate it…"

Sonny: "I don't have a car."

Kelbo: "I'd lend you mine but the insurance isn't paid off yet. Just call a cab, Jerry will reimburse you."

Sonny stood up. "Alright… Do you have a number I can call?"

Kelbo: "There's a phone book downstairs. By the way if you take Max to Clucky's pick me up a bucket of the Cajun style chicken. Thanks…"

Sonny headed downstairs and pulled out a phone book that Jerry kept in his desk. She flipped through the pages until she found a local cab service.

…

About an hour later…

Sonny stood at the receptionist's desk located by the principal's office. The school receptionist looked up. "Can I help you Miss?"

Sonny nodded. "I'm here to pick up Max Russo."

The older woman gave Sonny a hard look. "And you are?"

Sonny: "Allison Munroe. I work for the Russo's, I'm Max's nanny…"

A large man walked by the desk. "It's alright Mary. I'll take Miss Munroe over to Max."

"Of course Principal Laritate." The receptionist went back to typing.

The principal led Sonny to Max's classroom. "Mrs. Russo told me that you would probably be picking Max up from school today."

Sonny seemed surprised. "Mr. Russo said he was going to have his brother Kelbo pick Max up. But Kelbo wasn't feeling that well."

Principal Laritate smirked. "I guess Mrs. Russo knew she couldn't rely on her brother-in-law to do it."

Sonny and Principal Laritate turned around the corner. They saw a large child around Max's age push a smaller student into the lockers.

Principal Laritate rushed over to the two students. "Jimmy, go to my office right now!"

Jimmy shrugged. "Whatever! Like you're going to do anything…"

Principal Laritate: "NOW Jimmy! And don't stop to talk your friends either."

Jimmy walked slowly down the hall. Principal Laritate turned to the other boy. "Are you alright Michael?"

The smaller boy nodded. Principal Laritate offered a smile. "Why don't you go to the nurse's office so the nurse can take a better look at you?"

Michael headed to the nurse's office. Principal Laritate turned to Sonny. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Jimmy Dembowski is our school bully. I would expel the boy but his father sits on the school board."

Sonny began shaking uncontrollably… The sight had brought back many bad memories. "Could… could you excuse me…"

Principal Laritate nodded. "The teacher's bathroom is across the hall."

Sonny ran straight to the bathroom. Once she was sure that she was all alone, Sonny locked the door behind her. She sat against the wall and buried her face in her knees and began to cry.

….

Ten minutes later…

Sonny finally came out of the bathroom. Principal Laritate was waiting for her. He had a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright Allison?"

Sonny threw the paper towel she used to dry her eyes into the nearby trashcan. "Yes… I was bullied when I went to school..."

Principal Laritate nodded. "I see… Well I'm truly sorry you had to witness that incident." He led Sonny to Max's classroom. Max was sitting alone in the room.

Sonny walked over to where Max was sitting. He was slouched over his desk, drawing in his notebook.

Sonny tried to smile. "Hi Max…" She looked at the drawing in Max's notebook. "Did you draw that, it's really good."

Max nodded. Max grabbed his bookbag and followed Sonny and the principal down the hall.

Principal Laritate glanced over at Max. "So Max are you ready to start your new classes Monday?"

Max: "I guess…"

Principal Laritate: "If there's any problems, just come by my office."

Principal Laritate showed Sonny and Max the exit. "Well have a good weekend Max. It's nice meeting you Allison."

…

The taxicab drove Sonny and Max straight home from school. The sky above had turned dark as thunderclouds had moved in. When they got home, Sonny ordered some pizza for dinner.

After dinner, Max and Kelbo played videogames in the study while Sonny practiced her guitar.

Around 5:30 the doorbell rang. Sonny ran downstairs to answer the door. A uniformed police officer greeted her.

The police officer stepped inside. "Jerry asked me to look in on you guys."

Sonny: "We're fine officer."

Police officer: "Call me Tom. I like to be on a first name basis with everyone in town."

Sonny: "Can I get you anything to drink? We have some pizza…"

Tom shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. If there are no problems then I'm just going to head home before the rain starts."

Tom headed back out the door. "I'll probably stop by tomorrow night. Have a good night miss."

Sonny watched as the police officer drove off on his motorcycle. She turned around only to find Alex standing right behind her.

Sonny jumped back. "Oh Alex, you startled me…"

Alex had just awakened from her deep slumber. "I'm sorry Sonny… I didn't mean to scare you like that…"

Sonny smiled. "It's alright… I saved you some pizza."

Alex: "What's pizza?"

Sonny: "Don't they have pizza in England?"

Alex: "I… I lived in a small town. We didn't have that much around the area."

Sonny: "Oh… well you should try some. It's really good."

Alex: "Sure…"

Alex followed Sonny to the kitchen. Sonny grabbed a slice for herself and took a bite.

"You don't use a knife and fork?" asked Alex.

Sonny: "I guess you could eat pizza with a knife and fork but it's better this way."

Alex grabbed a slice of pizza. She knew that any food would make her violently ill. Human blood was her only source of nourishment. Still she didn't want to worry Sonny. And a part of her wanted to remember what it was like to be alive. Alex took a deep breath before taking a bite.

Sonny: "So how is it?"

Alex struggled to swallow; she began to feel nauseous. It felt like the insides of her stomach was burning. Alex threw the remaining slice back down in the box and ran outside. Concerned, Sonny ran after her.

Alex took a few steps outside before falling to her knees. She clutched her sides and vomited all over the grass.

Sonny knelt beside her. "Alex! Are you alright?"

Alex wiped her mouth with her hand. "Yes… I have to be careful of what I eat."

Sonny: "I'm sorry Alex; I didn't know you couldn't eat pizza with your diabetes."

Alex: "I think I'm alright now…"

Sonny helped Alex stand up. "You should come inside…"

Alex: "I need some fresh air."

Sonny: "Do you want to take a walk? We could go to the beach..."

Alex tried to remain patient. "I… I just need a few minutes alone. I don't want you to see me like this. Please…"

Sonny nodded and headed back inside. When Alex was certain that she was all alone, she headed over to the garage. She used Jerry's key to go inside. The cooler was in the corner of the room. Alex grabbed a few blood packets.

Alex opened the first pack. _This is all I really need…_

…..

Sonny headed back to the study. She was still concerned about Alex. Kelbo and Max were still playing Street Fighter 4. Sonny picked up her guitar and resumed playing.

Max won the following round. Frustrated, Kelbo turned to Sonny. "Hey could you keep it down over there. I need my concentration. The kid's been kicking my butt for the past hour."

Max smiled at Sonny. "I like it Sonny."

Sonny smiled back. "Thank you Max. It's a song I've been working on."

Max: "You write songs?"

Sonny nodded and strummed a few notes on her guitar.

"I'm more into _Van Halen_ and _Winger_ myself." Kelbo mentioned.

Max ignored his uncle. "So what's the song called?"

Sonny put down her guitar. "I don't know yet. I'm still working on the lyrics."

Kelbo grabbed his XBOX controller. "Alright I'm going to choose the sumo wrestler this time around."

Max: "You mean E. Honda."

Kelbo shrugged. "Whatever…" Max and Kelbo resumed their game.

Minutes later they heard a loud crack of thunder from outside followed by a heavy downpour of rain.

Kelbo put down his controller and looked out the window. "I hope we don't lose power. The _Lost in Space_ marathon starts at 8:00."

Sonny glanced out the window. "Alex is outside!"

Kelbo turned to Sonny. "What the hell is she doing out there?"

Sonny ignored Kelbo and ran back outside. She called out to Alex. There was no answer. Sonny called out to Alex several more times but still no answer. Sonny hoped that Alex wasn't too far away.

Sonny noticed that the lights were on in the garage. She selflessly ran through the pouring rain hoping that Alex was inside. Sonny found that the garage door was locked. After several knocks Alex opened the door.

Alex gazed at Sonny. "Sonny, you're drenched…"

Sonny rolled her eyes. "That's because it's raining outside."

When Alex drank blood she would fall into a deep trance-like state for several minutes. She had failed to realize that it was now raining out.

Sonny: "I was worried about you Alex. Can I come inside?"

Alex nodded. Sonny stepped inside the garage. She immediately noticed a few drops of blood by Alex's mouth. "What happened Alex? Your lip is bleeding."

Alex hadn't noticed that there were still drops of blood on her face. She had just enough time to throw the blood packs back into the cooler and quickly inspect herself before opening the door for Sonny. Alex wiped the blood from her mouth. "I accidently bit my lip…"

Sonny took a quick look around the garage. "So what were you doing in here anyways?"

Alex: "I wanted to get out of the rain."

Sonny: "You could have came back to the house silly."

Alex thought of a quick lie. "Well the garage was much closer…" Alex didn't want Sonny to find out what she was really doing in the garage. "I'll race you back to the house."

Sonny grinned. "You're on!" Ignoring the rain the two girls ran back to the house. Sonny was the first one to the front door. She turned to Alex. "I won…"

Alex was standing in the middle of the rain. Her body was shivering, she was unable to move. The cold rain had hit her like a ton of bricks. Sonny ran over to Alex and helped her inside.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 18

Sonny handed Alex some towels she took from the linen closet downstairs. Alex took one and wrapped it around her.

"Maybe you should take a nice hot bath." Sonny suggested. "That always makes me feel better."

Alex slowly nodded. The two girls headed upstairs to the third floor.

"I could make us some hot cocoa." Sonny offered. Alex just shook her head knowing that she would get sick again if she drank it.

"Well is there anything I can get for you Alex?" asked Sonny. There was a noticeable look of concern in Sonny's eyes.

"No thank you Sonny… I'm beginning to feel much better now." Alex's body temperature was slowly rising although she was concerned that it could drop back down since the heat wasn't working upstairs.

Once they reached the upstairs bathroom Alex kicked off her shoes and began to undress. Her dress fell to the floor. Alex, still partially clad, headed towards the bathtub. She began running the water to draw a bath.

Sonny tried not to gaze at Alex's partially nude body. Alex was so beautiful, her dark hair, her pale skin, her toned legs, her body was turning Sonny on.

Alex noticed Sonny ogling her. Standing by the bathtub with her back to Sonny, Alex seductively took off her bra and let it drop to the floor, enticing Sonny to join her.

Sonny got flustered, this wasn't what she meant by taking it slow. "I… We shouldn't…" Sonny ran out of the room, she was terrified of falling so deep for another person. Alex was tempting her to the point that she could get hurt all over again if she wasn't careful.

Alex just smiled as she stepped into the bathtub knowing that one day Sonny would be all hers.

Sonny took a few deep breaths and headed back to the study. Kelbo was sitting on the recliner watching television. Max wasn't interested in watching an old 1960's show so he went to his room.

Kelbo glanced over at Sonny. "So how's Alex?"

Sonny tried to get her mind off Alex. "I think she's alright now."

Kelbo flipped through the channels. "Well the _Lost in Space_ marathon is starting in a few minutes. Could you make me some popcorn?"

"Fine…" Sonny sighed. Sonny went downstairs to make popcorn for Kelbo.

Around 11:00 Sonny headed off to bed. She was getting sleepy and Kelbo was also beginning to annoy her. He kept asking Sonny to bring up another beer or more snacks. And he wouldn't stop talking about his ex-wife or his high school football days either. Whenever Sonny tried to watch the show, Kelbo would mention that he already saw that episode and would give away the ending.

Sonny headed over to Max's room first to check in on him. "Good night Max. Try not to stay up too late."

Max was playing his PSP. "I won't… Night Sonny."

Sonny went upstairs and stopped at Alex's room first. Alex was standing by her window staring outside. Alex had a heavy quilt wrapped around her to keep warm.

Sonny walked over to the window, it was still pouring out with no sign of stopping. A bolt of lightning came crashing down in the distance causing Sonny to jump back.

Alex turned to Sonny. "Are you heading to bed already?" She was hoping that she could spend some more time with Sonny.

Sonny yawned. "It's been a long day. Good night Alex."

Alex watched as Sonny headed to her own room.

….

It was after two in the morning, the house was completely silent. Alex paced up and down the hallways of the third floor. She was lonely since there was no one she could talk to or be with at that hour.

Alex could hear noises coming from Sonny's room. Concerned, Alex placed her ear against the door.

Alex could hear Sonny's voice. "STOP IT!" Sonny shouted.

Alex opened the door expecting to find an intruder. Instead Sonny was all alone in the room, tossing and turning in bed. She had been talking in her sleep.

"Leave me alone… PLEASE!" Sonny begged her imaginary attackers. "NO DON'T!"

Alex shook Sonny until she was awake. "Sonny! Sonny, wake up!"

Sonny sat up and screamed. Alex held Sonny close to her. "It's alright Sonny… I'm here."

Sonny soon calmed down once she realized she was having a bad dream. "Are you okay?" asked Alex.

Sonny sighed. "I just had a bad dream… Did I wake you?"

Alex smiled. "I was already awake…"

Sonny: "Oh…"

Alex: "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Sonny shook her head.

"You should go back to sleep…" Alex stood up.

Sonny held Alex's hand. "Stay with me… just for tonight." Alex crawled into bed with Sonny.

Sonny lay back down and drifted off to sleep with Alex beside her. Alex held Sonny and whispered softly that everything would be just fine. For the rest of the night, Sonny didn't have any more nightmares…

Dawn was soon approaching. Alex stood by the doorway. She looked down at Sonny who was lying there so peacefully.

_All you need is my love Sonny_…


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 19

Sonny woke up around eight in the morning. She turned over on her side… Alex was gone.

_Why did you leave me Alex? I needed you… Don't abandon me like everyone else has… _

Sonny knocked on Alex's door. "Alex?" There was no answer. She tried opening the door but it was locked. Assuming Alex was somewhere else, Sonny went downstairs to look for her.

Kelbo and Max were in the dining room waiting for breakfast. Theresa was right about Kelbo being no help whatsoever.

"Where's Alex?" Sonny asked.

Kelbo shrugged. "How should I know? Hey are you going to start breakfast? We're starving over here."

"How about we make some chocolate chip pancakes?" Sonny suggested.

"Cool!" Max followed Sonny into the kitchen to get started.

After breakfast Kelbo went to the living room to resume watching his _Lost in Space _marathon. Max joined his uncle while Sonny went upstairs to take a shower.

Afterwards Sonny tried knocking on Alex's door again but there was still no answer. She really needed someone to talk to. She tried calling Cory but all she got was his voicemail. Sonny needed to get out of the house; she wanted to forget all about her dream from last night. She asked Max if he wanted to go to the beach. Max agreed to join her.

Sonny and Max walked down to the beach. Sonny wished that she brought a heavier jacket. The sun was out but it was very cold. The weatherman had said that last night's rain would bring in a cold front for the weekend. Max didn't seem to mind the cold weather at all; he told Sonny that he couldn't wait for the snow to come.

When they got to the beach, Sonny noticed Cory standing on the same pier doing some more fishing. Sonny and Max walked over to say hello.

Cory turned to greet his friends. "So Sonny was able to pry you away from your XBOX?" Cory asked Max.

Max shrugged. "I guess… Did you catch anything?"

Cory reeled his line back in. "Nope… the weather's driving all the fish away. Oh well…"

Cory glanced over at Sonny. "This is the second time we've met like this. I was going to call you to see if wanted to go fishing but with the weather the way it is, I didn't think you would be interested."

Sonny: "I actually tried calling you earlier."

"I didn't bring my phone with me." Cory noticed Sonny seemed distressed. He turned to Max and handed him his fishing pole. "Why don't you take over Max, I need to talk to Sonny for a second."

Max grabbed the pole and cast out a line. Cory took Sonny aside. "What's wrong?"

Sonny: "I had a bad dream last night…"

Sonny told Cory about what happened yesterday. How seeing that child bullied over at Max's school brought back several bad memories.

Sonny also told Cory about her dream. In the dream she was back at her old school in Wisconsin. All of Sonny's former tormentors were chasing her down the dark hallways. They were calling her names and screaming obscenities at her. Sonny had run into the gym but she soon found herself surrounded. The other students had turned into monsters. They threw her to the ground and began beating her. They started clawing at her... trying to tear her apart.

Sonny: "All I could do was scream and beg them to stop… I was screaming for Mitchie to save me but I couldn't find her."

Cory almost didn't want to ask in fear of upsetting Sonny. "What happened then?"

Sonny: "Alex woke me up… I guess she must have heard me. She stayed with me the rest of the night."

Cory: "I see…"

Sonny shook her head. "It wasn't like that. We didn't do anything. She just held me until I went back to sleep…"

Cory: "So I assume the date went well?"

Sonny: "We had fun but I think I said something to upset her…"

Cory: "Care to explain?"

Sonny: "I asked Alex if she was seeing anyone. I guess I struck a nerve."

Cory: "I wouldn't worry about it. I mean the girl definitely seems to care about you. She could have taken advantage of you last night but didn't."

Sonny: "I told her I needed some time… Alex said she would wait for me as long as it took…"

Cory smiled. "You definitely have a keeper there."

Max ran up to Cory and Sonny and showed them the fish that he had just caught.

Cory glanced at the fish. "That has to be a two footer… Nice job Max."

Cory noticed that it was close to noon. "How about some lunch? My treat."

….

Around the same time at an auction house in Boston…

The auctioneer pointed at a heavyset man who was a renowned art dealer. "And sold for $130,000!"

Brock Roberts patted Jerry on the shoulder. "Congratulations Jerry. That's almost twice than what I valued that piece at."

Jerry took out his pocket calculator and began figuring out his profit. "After the auctioneer's cut, I must have made close to 1.3 million dollars."

"Great…" Theresa muttered. She was irritated since Jerry had ignored her the past two days, his mind was elsewhere. Theresa hoped that the rest of the weekend would go better.

"And that concludes the auction." The auctioneer informed the buyers.

Most of the buyers began mingling amongst themselves bragging on what they had just purchased.

Jerry turned to Theresa. "So where should we go for dinner? I heard that…"

A young redheaded woman interrupted Jerry. She wore an expensive designer dress. "Excuse me, Mr. Russo?"

Jerry turned to the woman. "Yes?"

The redhead smiled. "You don't know me but I wanted to introduce myself to you. Our families share a bit of history. My name is Elizabeth. Elizabeth Finkle."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 20

1778 Castlestone Maine, The Russo Manor

Two servant girls were listening to the heated argument in the other room. Their supervisor Mary, noticed the two girls standing by the door. "Girls! What are you doing there?"

The two girls answered at the same time. "Nothing…"

Mary sighed. "Don't tell me Miss Alexandra and Miss Harper are fighting again."

One of the servant girls nodded. Mary rolled her eyes. "My Lord. They've been at it since Mr. Russo left for Boston. Thank heavens he'll be back by the end of the month."

The three women heard Harper scream at Alexandra. "YOU LITTLE WHORE!" There was the loud sound of something being thrown against the wall.

Harper stormed out of the room. "Clean the mess in there!" she shouted at the two younger girls.

"Yes Miss Harper…"

Alexandra ran after Harper, she grabbed Harper's arm and slapped her across the face.

Indignant, Harper struck Alexandra back, hard enough to draw blood.

Mary ran over and pulled the girls apart. "Miss Alexandra… Miss Harper! Please! Mr. Russo would not approve of his soon to be wife fighting with his sister."

Alexandra turned to Mary. "Don't worry Mary; it will be a cold day in hell before my brother marries this sow!"

"You whore! I wonder how the church will react when they find out about your relations with another woman." spat Harper.

"And I wonder what the church will do to you when they discover that you take part in pagan rituals." Alexandra shot back. "I've seen what you do in the woods at night."

Alexandra knew that she hit a nerve. She whispered to Harper. "Did you use a love potion to make Justin fall in love with you?"

Harper's eyes widened. "You… you… you BITCH!" Harper grabbed a nearby vase and threw it at Alexandra. The vase just missed the side of Alexandra's face and smashed against the wall.

"You have poor aim Harps." Alexandra snickered.

"IT'S HARPER! I HATE YOU!" Harper ran upstairs.

Mary walked over to Alexandra and quickly inspected the girl. "You're lip's bleeding but I think you'll live."

Alexandra wiped the blood away with her fingers. Mary turned to one of the servant girls. "Bring us some water." The girls nodded and headed to the well.

Mary sat down next to Alexandra. "It's a shame… You girls were once best friends."

Alexandra shook her head. "Justin will never marry that girl. Not as long as I'm alive."

…

That night in the woods nearby…

Harper stood over the small campfire. She threw the last ingredient into a nearby cast iron pot and glanced back at her spell book. "That should do it."

Harper looked up at the sky. She chanted ancient words used by her Celtic ancestors.

Harper waited for the concoction to cool down before pouring it into a small receptacle. Harper stared at the bottle and thought about Alexandra.

_Yes Alexandra… Justin will hate you… He'll make sure his sister is destroyed… And I'll inherit everything…_

_Your father when he sees you will turn away in disgust… The little girl he once cherished will be nothing more than a blood thirsty monster… Your neighbors and friends will fear you… And your beloved Juliet… She'll never love you… _

_Your punishment will be worse than death… You'll live forever… All Alone… Hated and despised by all. _

Harper's malicious laughter echoed through the forest.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 21

Present Day, Saturday Afternoon

Cory drove Sonny and Max back home later that afternoon. They had stopped at McDonalds for lunch. Sonny asked Cory if he wanted to stay for dinner but Cory mentioned that he had several papers to grade.

Kelbo was still watching television in the living room. Max decided to go play videogames in the study while Sonny called her sister Mitchie. The two sisters talked for a few hours.

Mitchie was elated to hear that her sister would be moving to California in a few months. Sonny also told Mitchie that she would be trying out for _So Random!_

Mitchie: "I can't wait to see you Sonny. You're going to love California."

Sonny: "So how did your date last week go?"

Mitchie: "Not good… David is a self absorbed jerk."

Sonny: "Maybe I could talk Cory into visiting. I know you two would make a perfect couple."

Mitchie: "I'd love to meet him. From what you've told me about him, Cory seems like a really nice guy. So what about you Sonny? Are you dating anyone?"

"Sort of…" There was a hint of sadness in Sonny's voice.

"Sort of?" Mitchie asked. Sonny told her sister all about Alex.

Mitchie: "I don't know what to say Sonny… Have you told Alex that you're planning on moving to California?"

Sonny: "No, not yet… I guess I'll tell her later. Maybe Alex can come to California with me."

Sonny and Mitchie talked for a few more minutes before Sonny mentioned that she had to start dinner. The sisters said their goodbyes before Sonny headed to the kitchen.

Theresa had put some premade enchiladas in the freezer which Sonny threw in the oven. After dinner Sonny, Kelbo, and Max went upstairs to the study to watch television. About a half-hour later, Alex came into the study.

Max immediately excused himself and went to his room. There was something about Alex that scared him. Max had gone out of his way to avoid her anytime she was around.

Alex sat down on the sofa next to Sonny and rested her head on Sonny's shoulder. Sonny sat up and headed out of the room. Surprised and worried that she upset Sonny, Alex followed her down the hallway.

Alex grabbed Sonny's arm. "Sonny! What's wrong?"

Sonny turned to Alex. "Where were you this morning?"

Alex: "I went back to my room… I… I didn't want to disturb you."

Sonny: "I needed someone to talk to…"

Alex: "I'm so sorry Sonny…"

Sonny was used to people letting her down. "It's fine Alex…"

Alex: "I'm here now if you want to talk."

Sonny shook her head. "Never mind… I'm going to my room." Sonny started upstairs.

Alex called out to Sonny. "Sonny wait!"

Sonny turned around. "Please don't be mad at me…" Alex pleaded.

"I'm not mad." Realizing that Alex didn't believe her, Sonny forced a smile. "Really Alex, I'm fine."

"May I come up to your room later? We could talk then?" Alex inquired.

Sonny smile turned genuine, she told Alex that she would be waiting upstairs for her. Alex watched as Sonny headed upstairs to her room. Alex went downstairs and headed over to the garage for her supper.

…...

Sheriff Tom Danzig rode up to the Russo manor and stepped off his bike. Being an avid motorcycle enthusiast Tom had spent the day riding his bike around town. He decided to check up on the Russo's before he went home. Jerry was a good friend of Tom's, they had played cards on Saturdays and he had gone over the house for dinner a few times.

Tom noticed that the lights to Jerry's garage were on. He cautiously headed over to the garage and peeked in the window. He saw a girl inside kneeling on the floor in the corner of the room. She appeared to be drinking something from a pouch or packet.

Tom assumed the girl had broken in since he didn't recognize her. Jerry hadn't told him about Alex. The sheriff stepped inside and called out to the woman. "Miss, what are you doing here? This is private property."

Upon hearing the man's voice, Alex dropped the blood packet. She stood up and turned around to fully face the sheriff.

Tom placed his hand next to his holster. "I'm Sheriff Danzig with the Castlestone Police Department. I'll need to see some ID."

Tom noticed the half full blood packet lying on the ground. Some of the blood leaked out onto the concrete. Tom had served in the military as a medic; he immediately recognized the blood pack and realized that the girl had been drinking blood.

Tom looked up at Alex. "Are you crazy?" Tom took out his pistol. "Lay down on the ground now! Keep your hands in the air!"

Alex's fingernails grew straight out, resembling claws which further startled the sheriff. She struck out at Tom before he could get a shot off. Tom fell to the ground dropping his gun in the process. He tried to reach for his pistol but it was far from his reach. Alex leapt on top of Tom and began to feed. No one could hear the police officer's screams.

Alex drained the officer completely. _This is so much fresher than what I've been feeding on._

….

Alex disposed of the body and the motorcycle in the dense woods. The woods hadn't changed much in the past 230 years. As a young girl she used to play in the woods and knew almost every corner of the forest. She knew that the wolves in the area would finish off any remains. And the woods would easily conceal the motorcycle.

Alex returned to the house and took a bath, washing away all traces of blood on her. She headed over to Sonny's room. Sonny was sitting on the bed playing her guitar. Alex didn't recognize the song that Sonny was softly singing.

_Ooh There's a wild, wild whisper_

_Blowing in the wind_

_Calling out my name like a long lost friend_

_Oh I miss those days as the years go by_

_Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime_

_And American honey_

_And American honey_

**A/N: Song and Lyrics- Lady Antebellum, American Honey**

Alex sat down on the bed across from Sonny. "That's a pretty song…"

Sonny placed the guitar next to her bed. "Thank you Alex."

Alex closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you alone last night Sonny. I needed to sleep."

"It's ok Alex. You could have just slept next to me though." Sonny giggled.

Alex: "My… diabetes forces me to fall into a deep sleep. I can't be disturbed when I'm sleeping."

Alex and Sonny talked for awhile. Sonny told Alex about her sister, trying out for _So Random!_ and about moving to California in December. Sonny asked Alex if she wanted to come to California with her.

Alex's eyes brightened, she felt so happy knowing that Sonny truly cared for her. "Of course I would Sonny. I do have to take care of something personal first."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Sonny asked.

Alex shook her head. "I'll tell you about it later."

Alex noticed that Sonny seemed tired. "I should let you get some sleep. Good night Sonny."

"Good night Alex." Sonny soon drifted off to sleep.

…..

Sunday afternoon

Theresa stormed into the house still upset with her husband. Sonny, Max, and Kelbo were in the living room downstairs.

Sonny: "Hi Mrs. Russo. Did you have a nice time in Boston?"

Theresa had thought this weekend would help rekindle the romance in her marriage. She was wrong as Jerry had pretty much ignored her the whole weekend, he had spent most of the time focused on the auction. After the auction Jerry had gone out drinking with Brock Roberts leaving Theresa all alone at the hotel.

Theresa calmed herself down. "Yes. We had a nice weekend." she lied.

Jerry came in with the bags. Knowing that his wife was angry with him, he avoided making eye contact with her. "So how was everything here?" he asked Sonny.

"Great." Sonny cheerfully exclaimed.

Theresa and Sonny went to the kitchen to start dinner while Jerry told Kelbo about the auction. The family sat at the dinner table and started eating.

"So the next auction is in a couple of weeks?" asked Kelbo.

Jerry nodded. "I'm thinking about taking the next couple of weeks off…" Jerry turned to his wife. "Maybe we could visit the countryside before the next auction Theresa."

Theresa smiled, her face glowed. "That sounds wonder…" The doorbell interrupted her.

Theresa started to stand up. "Who could that be?"

Jerry grew worried; he wasn't expecting visitors at this hour. "I'll get it Theresa." Jerry headed to the parlor and answered the front door. He was greeted by Elizabeth Finkle and a large man in an expensive suit.

Elizabeth ignored Jerry and stepped right inside. "Ok where is she?"

Jerry: "Who?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Alexandra or whatever the hell she's calling herself nowadays."

Jerry: "I don't know what you're talking about… And I didn't invite you to come in."

The large man shoved Jerry aside. "Hey!" Jerry shouted at the man.

Elizabeth: "I wouldn't upset my associate if I were you. Kevin is a former MMA heavyweight champion. Killed two men in the ring."

Theresa came into the room. She noticed that Jerry seemed upset. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing…" Jerry muttered.

Theresa turned to Elizabeth. "Miss Finkle? I didn't know you were visiting…"

Elizabeth smiled. "I'm in town on business. I actually stopped by to say hello to an old friend."

Theresa: "Oh would you like to join us for dinner?"

"No thank you." Theresa shrugged and joined her family back in the dining room.

Elizabeth turned to Jerry. "I assume Alex is just getting up?"

Jerry: "Ok how do you know Alex?"

Elizabeth: "As I said, she's an old friend of mine. I assume she had her hand in the recent murders around here."

Jerry: "Alright… I'll go get her…"

Elizabeth: "I wish to speak with Alex in private."

Jerry pointed down the hallway to his office. "You guys can talk in my office." Jerry headed upstairs to retrieve Alex.

Elizabeth turned to Kevin. "You can wait in the car Kevin. I shouldn't be long."

Kevin headed back to his car while Elizabeth sat in Jerry's office and waited.

Finally Alex came in the office. Recognizing her guest, Alex's eyes widened. "Harper…"

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I was too busy enjoying summer vacation. The good news is that I have the rest of the story mapped out in my mind so I'll probably be uploading more chapters soon enough. **


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 22

1778 Castlestone Maine, The Russo Manor

The doctor came out of Alexandra's room. The head servant Mary was waiting for him in the hallway.

Mary approached the doctor. "I heard screaming…"

The doctor closed the door to Alexandra's bedroom so they wouldn't disturb her before he conversed with Mary.

"How is she doctor?" Mary asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm not sure?"

Mary gave the doctor a confused look. "Come again?"

The doctor repeated himself. "I don't know ma'am. I've never seen symptoms like hers before. It looks like the life's been completely drained from her. I tried taking her temperature but the thermometer read 72 degrees. That would be room temperature…"

(A/N: I did some research and thermometers were used in the early 1700's.)

The doctor continued. "She's in what appears to be a comatose state..."

Mary nodded. "Yes, she's been like that for almost a week. The only time Miss Alexandra is awake is at night. She refuses to open the curtains."

The doctor's eyes met Mary's. "The screaming you just heard… I had opened the curtains to get some light in the room. The sunlight had caused Miss Alexandra much discomfort. It's as if she were being burned alive."

"Is there anything you can do for her doctor?" Mary asked.

"For now I'm going to do some research… make some inquires. The best thing for Miss Alexandra right now is for her to get some rest and drink plenty of fluids." the doctor explained. "Keep the curtains drawn at all times."

Mary nodded. "Yes doctor."

Mary showed the doctor to the front door. Before leaving the doctor turned to Mary. "Where are her relatives anyways? It would be best if they were here by her side."

"Miss Alexandra's father is away with the war. But her brother should be home in a few weeks." Mary replied. The doctor wished her well and headed to his next appointment.

…

Weeks later

Justin and his friend Zeke were heading back home from Boston. They were making record time but the sun was quickly setting. The two men stopped at an inn on the outskirts of Castlestone.

"We need a room for the night." Justin told the innkeeper. Justin had been eager to get back home to his fiancée and his sister. He was tempted to ride straight home but he realized it was much too dangerous to travel at night.

The innkeeper handed Justin a key. Justin and Zeke sat in the tavern and ordered dinner. They sat at a table close to the fireplace, warming themselves by the fire. Being early autumn it was quite cold outside.

There were only a few people staying at the inn. Usually a few locals would stop by the inn to drink and socialize at the end of the day. Two local farmers and the town's tailor were sitting at a nearby table conversing amongst themselves. Justin attempted to listen in on their conversation while he waited for dinner.

Farmer one: "They found another body this morning… right by the stream… body was completely drained of blood…"

Tailor: "That would make three these past nine days…"

Farmer two: "I'm telling you this is the work of a vampire…"

Farmer one: "Don't be foolish… It's an animal perhaps a bear or wolf…"

"What are they talking about over there?" Zeke whispered to Justin.

Justin turned to Zeke. "I don't know…"

The waitress brought Justin and Zeke their dinner. The two soon forgot about the conversation at the other table as they dined and headed to bed.

…..

The next day

It was around 2:00 in the afternoon by the time Justin and Zeke reached Justin's home. Both men had overslept that morning due to fatigue from traveling.

Mary was sitting on the porch knitting. She stood up upon recognizing the two men on horseback.

Justin hopped off his horse and greeted the woman. He looked around. "Where are Harper and Alexandra?"

"Miss Harper is out visiting her parents. Your sister… she has taken ill…" Mary explained.

Justin's eyes widened. "What? What happened? How is she?" Justin started towards Alexandra's room intent on seeing his sister.

Mary had to step in front of Justin. "Please Mr. Russo; the doctor says that she needs her rest."

The concern for his sister was evident. "But…" Justin pleaded.

Zeke touched Justin's arm. "Maybe we should listen to the doctor Justin…"

Justin sighed. "Alright…"

Mary: "Perhaps Miss Alexandra will be up later tonight."

…

Justin and Zeke sat with Mary in the parlor. Mary had been Justin and Alexandra's nanny when they were younger; she was almost a second mother to them. Mary told Justin and Zeke everything that had transpired during the time they were gone.

Mary: "Miss Alexandra became ill a few weeks ago. It was right after her fight with Miss Harper. The next morning I had gone to her room to wake her… She had slept past noon… I tried to wake her but she didn't respond."

"Does the doctor have any idea what it is?" Justin asked.

Mary shook her head. "No… the doctor still hasn't found anything that could explain what's happening to your sister."

Mary became distraught. "Your sister locks herself in her room and sleeps the whole day… She refuses to let anyone in... She hasn't eaten… And when she is up at night, she seems like a completely different person."

Justin patted the older woman's hand. "Don't worry Mary. I'm going to have another doctor examine Alexandra. We'll find out…"

The sound of the front door interrupted Justin. A voice called out. "Hello?" It was Harper.

Justin ran to the foyer and greeted his soon to be wife. Harper hugged her fiancé tightly. "I'm so happy you're back home Justin…"

Mary glanced at the old grandfather clock. "I should start dinner."

Harper turned to Zeke. "I hope you'll stay with us for dinner Zeke."

Zeke: "Of course."

"Dinner may be later than you're accustomed to." Mary explained to Justin.

Justin shrugged. "It's fine Mary. Where are all of the servants anyways?"

Mary was unable to speak. Harper's eyes met the old woman's. "I'll tell Justin Mary. You can start dinner."

Mary headed to the kitchen. Zeke, wanting to give Justin and Harper some privacy, offered to help the woman out in the kitchen.

Once Mary and Zeke had left the room, Justin turned to his wife. "Tell me what Harper?"

Harper sighed. "Alexandra attacked one of the girls…"

Justin's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Harper: "It was on the third day that Alexandra had taken ill… One of the servant girls had gone into Alexandra's room to change the sheets. Alexandra… she started attacking the poor girl…"

Justin: "Is the girl aright?"

Harper: "Alexandra bit the girl, right on the face… She tore the flesh right off. Two of the groundskeepers had to pull Alexandra off of the girl."

Justin stood up and went over to the fireplace. "My God!"

Harper walked over to where Justin was standing. "I took care of everything Justin. I paid the girl's family and explained that Alexandra was ill and had temporarily lost her senses. The girl's parents said they wouldn't go to the authorities. The girl's face is scarred but otherwise I believe she'll be fine."

Justin lightly squeezed Harper's hand. "Thank you Harper. For everything."

Harper: "The other servants besides Mary and the gardener are too afraid to work here though."

Justin shook his head. "I can hire new help."

Harper forced tears to fall from her eyes even though she was smiling on the inside. "Oh Justin, I'll never forgive myself if something were to happen to Alexandra. I wish we had never fought."

Justin looked in his wife's eyes. "Don't be angry with yourself Harper. Everything will be just fine. I'll send for another doctor to examine Alexandra, the best that Boston has to offer."

Harper tightly hugged Justin. He failed to see the cruel smile that was on her lips. At this moment Harper knew she had finally triumphed over Alexandra. Her plans were coming to fruition.

Harper: "Alexandra is fortunate to have such a wonderful brother. Yes Justin, you're right, Alexandra will be just fine."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 23

Present Day, Russo Manor

Elizabeth Finkle waited in Jerry's office for several minutes. Finally Alex came in, her eyes widened when she saw her old adversary standing in front of her.

"Harper!" Alex growled.

Harper or Elizabeth as she was now known had not changed much after all these years. There were some subtle changes though such as changing her hairstyle to fit with the modern day. Her jewelry and clothing was bold, sexy, and quite expensive. Harper's Irish accent was replaced by a hybrid New York/Southern accent that she had picked up during her years of traveling around the country.

Elizabeth/Harper smiled. "Finally… after 230 years and twenty or so different aliases, you finally got my name right. So how have you been Alexandra… or Alex is it now?"

Alex rushed over towards Harper, her hand wrapped around Harper's throat. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here!"

Harper stayed calm. "Well for starters, you can't kill me that easily. And more importantly you need me alive."

Alex took her hand off of Harper's throat. "What do you mean by that?"

Harper ignored Alex's question. "Have you found my book yet?"

Alex shook her head. "I've looked everywhere for it."

Harper looked around the room before finally sitting down. "It's around somewhere… Believe it or not Alexandra but I wanted to release you from your suffering many years back."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Right…"

Harper turned to Alex. "No, really Alex. I spent many nights searching the house trying to find out where Justin kept you imprisoned. At first I thought he had driven a stake in your heart but years later Zeke confessed that Justin couldn't go through with it. Zeke said that Justin sealed up your coffin but he didn't know where Justin kept you entombed. After Justin threw me out of the house I gave up searching."

Alex sat down across from Harper. "What happened with you and Justin? I was told that Justin divorced you."

Harper sighed. "Justin found out I was responsible for your affliction years after we were married. He kicked me out of the house… I was penniless. I travelled around the country for many years until I settled down in Virginia. I married a rich plantation owner and have been quite comfortable ever since."

"Are you certain the book is here? And there is a spell that can cure me?" Alex asked with a hint of eagerness and impatience in her voice.

Harper nodded. "I can sense the book is still in Castlestone, but I can't pinpoint its exact location. It could be in this house or even across town. I had checked through local shops and the library but no luck. And I could never convince the previous owners of this house to let me stay long enough to search for it."

"How are you so certain…?"

Harper interrupted Alex. "The book is a living entity… well maybe not in the traditional sense of the meaning but it has great power. It was written and enchanted by the ancient druids. Every owner has a telepathic connection to it. I only had the book in my possession for a few years so the bond I have with the book isn't that strong. But I would still know if something were to happen to it."

Harper looked straight into Alex's eyes. "And yes Alexandra, there is a spell that can counter the first one and cure you. And you will need me when you find my book. I doubt you'll find someone who can perform an ancient pagan ritual."

Alex turned away. "I don't trust you Harper."

Harper shrugged. "Well there's no reason for you not to. I'm over Justin. In fact I've been married countless times. I've amassed a large fortune throughout the years. I was once a famous silent movie star, an author, right now I'm a successful fashion designer. I usually change identities after 20 years or so as not to arouse suspicion."

"And your point is what Harps?" Alex spat.

Harper ignored Alex's sarcasm. "I guess what I'm saying is that there's no reason for us to continue our feud. And I am sincere; I do want to make everything up to you. I never meant for everything to get this bad."

Alex thought quietly to herself. Harper's explanation did seem legitimate. And Harper was probably correct that no one could perform the ritual or at least successfully.

Alex sighed. "Fine Harps. I'll let you know when I find your book."

Harper giggled. "Harps… I haven't been referred to that for 230 years almost. By the way, it's Elizabeth now. Or at least in public."

"What will this spell do exactly if it works?" asked Alex.

Harper became serious. "I'm certain the spell will work. But I don't know what it will do to you per se. I mean it will definitely cure you of your affliction. Right now you're should I say frozen in time or stuck at the age of 18. The spell may reverse the curse to where you'll become human again. You'll resume aging and… you'll eventually die one day but it's possible you'll still have a full life ahead of you."

"You used magic to stay young for all these years." Alex stated as a matter of fact.

"Yes, but I don't need blood to survive and I can go out in the daylight. In your case, I turned you into a monster, cursed for all of eternity. My bad." Harper replied.

Harper took a deep breath and continued. "The book says the spell will release a person from the curse. There are several interpretations to what that could mean. You should know that the spell may immediately kill you. I'm being completely honest when I say I have no idea what could happen."

Alex closed her eyes. "I don't care… I don't want to stay like this forever."

Harper: "Well we shouldn't pull the cart before the horse. First we have to find my book and then we can worry about everything else after…."

"Do you have any idea where it could be?" Alex asked.

Harper shook her head. "You know your brother. He always kept his secrets. If it's not in the house perhaps Justin left a clue to where he hid it. Either way the book is easy to spot. It's written in human blood and bound by human skin."

Harper handed Alex a business card. "Do call me if you find anything. I hope you know how to use a phone."

Alex grabbed the card from Harper. "A phone? What's that?"

Harper laughed at Alex's cluelessness. "It's good to have you back Alexandra."

"How did you find out I was here anyways?" asked Alex.

"Well between the auction and hearing about how Jerry Russo came across Justin's belongings as well as hearing about the recent murders in town it didn't take me long to figure that you found your way back." Harper stated. "I know that one of your victims even tried to help you and you still killed him. That's real cold Alexandra."

Alex knew Harper was referring to Fred. His body was discovered by the authorities days ago. Since he was homeless the police didn't put too much emphasis on investigating the matter and failed to tie his death to the four other murders.

Harper had struck a nerve with Alex. "I hate you Harper…" Alex stated.

Harper smirked and started out the room. "Do keep in touch Alexandra."

Alex stared out the window and watched as Harper climbed into her limousine. Moments later Sonny came into the room. She crept to where Alex was standing and wrapped her arms around Alex.

"Guess who?" Sonny cheerfully teased.

Alex turned around. "Hello Sonny."

Sonny pouted. "No fair Alex, you peeked!" Sonny flashed a bright smile. "So have you thought about where we can go on our first real date?"

Alex smiled back. "No, why don't you choose."

"How about another movie?" Sonny suggested.

Alex: "Of course. I… I was thinking that I would like to meet your friend Mr. Beakerman. I have something to ask him."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 24

Monday Morning…

Jerry's BMW pulled up to the front of the school. Max reluctantly stepped out of the car. Jerry smiled to his son. "Good luck Max. You'll be just fine son."

Max nodded and slowly walked over to the principal's office. The secretary told him to have a seat while Principal Laritate finished making the announcements.

Principal Laritate walked over to where Max was sitting. "Are you ready to meet your new teacher and classmates Max?" Max nodded and followed the principal down the hallway.

Principal Laritate led Max to his new classroom. "And if you have any problems Max, my office is always open." Principal Laritate opened the door and waved to the teacher.

The teacher came over and conversed with Principal Laritate for a few moments before the principal turned to Max. "This is your new teacher Mrs. Swift."

Mrs. Swift smiled and introduced herself to Max. She was a beautiful blond haired woman in her early to mid twenties and was quite popular with her students. Mrs. Swift led Max inside the classroom.

Mrs. Swift turned to the rest of her class. "Class, this is our new student Max Russo. Why don't we all say hello."

The other students muttered quick hellos. Mrs. Swift pointed to the back of the class to where a pretty redheaded girl was sitting. "Why don't you sit next to Nancy in the back."

Max walked to the back and took his seat. The redheaded girl smiled at Max causing Max to smile back. Mrs. Swift resumed the class.

A few hours later the students poured into the cafeteria. Max was nervous, before when he was in the special classes he would eat in the classroom with three other students. Now he felt even more alone and was even more uncomfortable with his surroundings. Max grabbed his lunch and hoped he could find somewhere to sit.

Nancy waved over to Max. "Hi Max. Want to sit with us."

Relieved, Max walked over to Nancy's table. There were six others sitting with Nancy.

Nancy introduced her friends to Max. "This is Raquel, Ty, Deuce, Ashley, Michael, and Henry."

Everyone said hello to Max and made him feel welcome. Max introduced himself to the others and told them a bit about himself omitting certain facts.

Nancy excused herself and went over to grab a snack. Raquel whispered to Max. "I shouldn't tell you this but Nancy thinks you're cute." Max blushed, he didn't know what to say.

Jimmy Dembowski and his three friends walked over to Max's table. With the exception of Max, Jimmy had bullied every student that sat at the table. Jimmy was perhaps the biggest kid in the school; everyone was scared of him due to his short temper and sadistic demeanor.

Jimmy took the brownie right off of Max's tray. "Thanks man." Jimmy smirked.

Max stood up. "Hey give that back!"

Jimmy grabbed Max by the collar. "I guess you don't know how things work around here newbie. I can take what I want and you can't do shit about it."

The other students said nothing; they felt fortunate that Jimmy's wrath was directed at someone else this time rather than themselves.

Nancy saw Jimmy bothering her friends. She ran over to the table. "Leave Max alone Jimmy!"

Jimmy pushed Max away and turned to Nancy. "Or what?" Jimmy brushed Nancy's hair back exposing a faded bruise. "Looks like your dad went on another weekend bender, huh? I guess he has to take it out on someone since your mom died."

Tears began to roll down Nancy's cheek, she was hurt by the boy's cruel words. She slapped Jimmy's hand away. Furious, Jimmy grabbed Nancy and roughly threw her to the ground.

Without thinking Max's arm shot right out, his fist connected with the larger boy's nose. Jimmy staggered a few feet back before regaining his balance.

The cafeteria went immediately silent. The other students anticipated a fight to break out.

Jimmy's best friend Brian pointed at Jimmy. "Dude your nose is bleeding!"

Jimmy wiped away the blood and glared at Max. "Motherfucker!"

Jimmy lunged over and grabbed Max's shirt. He punched Max directly in the eye causing Max to fall to the ground. Jimmy stood over Max and landed several more blows in before Mr. Laritate rushed over and pulled Jimmy off of Max.

…

Later that afternoon

Jerry and Theresa sat alone in the Principal's office waiting for the Principal to return. The principal had called the Russo's about an hour ago telling them that Max had been involved in a fight. They hadn't seen Max yet and were worried for their son as the principal had not given them much detail about what happened.

Theresa sighed. "I knew this would happen… We should have never made Max take those classes."

Jerry held his wife's hand. "It will be alright Theresa. Max just needs some more time to get adjusted to everything."

A heavyset man came into the room wearing sunglasses, a designer suit, and an expensive Rolex. "Hey is Hershel around?"

Jerry gave the man a confused look. The man repeated himself. "Principal Laritate I mean."

Theresa shook her head. "No… We're waiting on him too."

The man sat down and took off his glasses. "Well I'm probably in the right place." He extended his hand to Jerry. "John Dembowski."

Jerry shook the man's hand. "Jerry Russo."

"Russo… Oh your family moved in last summer right?" Mr. Dembowski asked.

Jerry nodded. Mr. Dembowski took out a business card and handed it to Jerry. "I own the car dealership right off the highway. Second largest dealership in the state to be exact. You should come by sometime. I can set you up with a good deal."

Principal Laritate came into the room. Mr. Dembowski waved to the man. "Hey Hershel. So what's Jimmy done now?"

"Hello John." Principal Laritate looked around the room. "Mr. Lukey hasn't arrived yet... Well I can't wait all day for him."

Principal Laritate sat down at his desk. He looked at the Russo's and Mr. Dembowski. "Both Jimmy and Max were involved in a fight at lunch today."

Principal Laritate tried to explain to the parents what had happened earlier that day. There were two versions of what had happened in the cafeteria. Most of the students especially those bullied by Jimmy had sided with Max. Jimmy's friends though had lied and said that Max and Nancy had started the fight.

Mr. Dembowski glanced at Principal Laritate. "My son's nose better not be broken. Otherwise you'll hear from my lawyer Hershel."

Principal Laritate: "Both boys are fine. Jimmy received a bloody nose but the nurse said he's fine. They're in the nurse's office."

Mr. Dembowski became relaxed. "Well that's a relief." He nudged Jerry Russo with his elbow. "I guess this is a case of boys will be boys. Isn't that right Jerry?"

Theresa ignored Mr. Dembowski. "What will happen to Max?" she asked Principal Laritate.

The principal took a deep breath. "My hands are tied. I have conflicting sides to what happened so neither boy will be punished."

Principal Laritate stood up. "I'll take you all over to the nurse's office. You can take the boys home."

Principal Laritate led the parents across the hall to the nurse's office. Max and Nancy were sitting on a couch across from Jimmy. A security guard was keeping the peace between the three students.

Theresa gasped when she saw Max holding an icepack on his eye. The side of his face was bruised as well. She ran over to her son and hugged him tightly.

Mr. Dembowski ruffled his son's hair. "You alright sport?" he asked.

Jimmy gave Max and Nancy a death glare. "Yeah dad." he muttered. Jimmy's nose had long stopped bleeding.

Principal Laritate stood in front of Max and Jimmy. "I don't expect you two to get in anymore trouble. Now why don't you two shake hands."

Max held out his hand. The larger boy reluctantly shook it. Jimmy leaned forward and whispered so only Max could hear. "You're dead." Max backed away in fear.

Mr. Dembowski patted Jimmy on the back unaware of what his son had just said. "See that, we're all friends now. So how about we get some pizza for dinner champ?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Sure dad."

Mr. Dembowski turned to Jerry and Theresa. "So Jerry why don't you give me a call sometime. We'll go golfing." The Dembowski's headed out the office.

Max sat back down. Principal Laritate turned to Jerry and Theresa. "I actually believe that Max was justified here. Everyone with the exception of Jimmy's friends said that Jimmy started the fight."

"Well why didn't you say something before!" Theresa shouted to the principal.

Principal Laritate looked away. "Mr. Dembowski runs the school board. My hands are tied." Principal Laritate glanced over at Max. "If Jimmy gives you any more trouble let me know. We could put Max back in his old classes."

Max became scared. "I don't want to go back…"

Jerry spoke up. "My son's staying where he is."

Mr. Laritate backed off. "Of course, it was just a suggestion."

Nancy sighed. She turned to Max. "I'm so sorry about your eye Max."

Max looked up. "It's alright." He pointed to the bandage on Nancy's knee. "How's your knee."

Nancy lightly ran her hand over her knee. She had scraped it when Jimmy had pushed her. "Still hurts." she frowned.

Jerry watched on as his son talked with his new friend. He was relieved that Max had already made some new friends. He was also proud that Max stood up for Nancy.

Theresa came over to where Max was sitting. She introduced herself to Nancy.

"Max is having a birthday party next week. Would you like to come?" Theresa asked Nancy.

Nancy smiled. "Sure… Thanks Mrs. Russo."

Jerry joined his family. "I guess we should be getting home. It's nice meeting you Nancy."

Nancy turned to Max. "I'll see you tomorrow Max?"

Max nodded and smiled. "Sure." He followed his parents out to the car. A few students that were still in school due to extracurricular activities congratulated Max for standing up to Jimmy.

A tall man with wavy hair came in the nurse's office afterwards. He wore slacks and a blue work shirt.

Principal Laritate stepped forward. "Mr. Lukey, I want to assure you that Nancy is not in any trouble…"

Mr. Lukey ignored Principal Laritate and grabbed his daughter's arm. "GODDAMN IT GIRL! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE NOW!"

….

At the Russo Manor…

Sonny was in the living room folding clothes waiting for Alex to wake up while Kelbo watched television. Jerry, Theresa, and Max came into the room.

Sonny's eyes widened, her mouth dropped when she saw Max. "What happened Max? Are you alright?"

Theresa: "Max had some trouble in school with a bully."

A thousand memories flowed through Sonny's mind at once. She struggled to stay strong for Max. Not knowing what to say, Sonny offered Max a warm smile.

There was much pride evident in Jerry's voice. "Max handled him just fine." Jerry knelt in front of Max. "I'll show you a few techniques in case that kid starts anymore trouble with you. I used to box a little bit in my younger days."

"You lost all five of your fights in the first two rounds Jerry." Kelbo smirked. Jerry shot Kelbo an angry look that told him to be quiet.

"Could I just go to bed?" Max asked softly.

Jerry looked concerned. "Already?" Jerry saw that his son was still upset. "Alright then. We'll bring some dinner up for you later." Max ran upstairs to his room.

Jerry sat down on the couch next to Kelbo. "I guess we could enroll Max in some karate classes."

Theresa: "I don't want Max fighting. He could get hurt."

Jerry threw his hands in the air. "Fine Theresa."

Theresa went to set up the table with Sonny. The Russo's had picked up some chicken for dinner after picking Max up from school. Jerry told Kelbo about everything that happened over dinner. Sonny didn't feel like eating; hearing about the incident caused her to relive her own experiences at school. Despondent she ignored everyone else at the table.

After dinner Sonny offered to bring Max some chicken.

"I'll go Sonny. I have to give Max some aspirin. The doctor said Max may wind up with a bad headache." Theresa turned to Jerry. "Maybe we should keep Max home from school tomorrow."

Jerry: "That's a good idea Theresa. Maybe I can talk to Mr. Dembowski tomorrow, see if we can get the kids to work things out."

Sonny excused herself and headed up to her room. She sat on her bed practicing her guitar, watching the sun slowly set below the horizon.

Alex crept into the room. She had heard Sonny playing her guitar down the hallway. "That's a beautiful song Sonny…"

Sonny stopped playing. "It's a work in process."

Alex frowned. "Won't you play it again for me? I only caught part of it..."

"I'll play it for you when it's complete." Sonny smiled and held up her hand as if she were giving an oath. "I promise Alex."

Alex sat down next to Sonny. "Is something wrong Sonny?"

Sonny immediately sat up and put her guitar away in the closet. "No, why do you say that?"

Alex stared into Sonny's eyes.

"There's nothing wrong. I don't know why you think there is…" Sonny stated.

Alex interrupted Sonny. "I know you Sonny…"

Sonny glared over at Alex. "No, you don't."

Sonny realized her words had hurt Alex. "I'm sorry Alex. I didn't mean to say that."

Alex sighed. "It's fine Sonny."

Sonny sat back down on the bed. "I'm really sorry Alex. I guess I am upset. Max got into a fight today with a bully."

Alex looked into Sonny's eyes. "There's more to it than that."

Sonny nodded.

Alex lightly touched Sonny's arm. "Tell me about it… please…"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 25

Sonny laid her head on Alex's lap and spoke softly, telling Alex most of the details regarding her childhood.

Alex stayed silent the entire time, she softly stroked Sonny's hair. Tears formed in Alex's eyes.

_How could anyone hurt this beautiful angel… _Alex thought to herself.

Alex: "I'm so sorry that you had to go through that Sonny… It must have been painful…"

Sonny sat up, she saw how upset Alex was. "It's alright Alex… I'm fine now… really…"

Alex looked into Sonny's eyes. _No, you're not Sonny… You keep lying to me…_

"Of course…" Alex muttered.

Sonny rubbed her hands together to keep warm. "I wish Mr. Russo would call the repairman. It's too cold up here."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"

Sonny smiled. "Sure!"

The two girls slid underneath the covers. Alex wrapped her arms around Sonny, her leg intertwined with Sonny's. Sonny almost jumped as Alex did so as Alex's whole body was cold to the touch.

Sonny giggled. "We'll never get to sleep like this."

"We don't have to sleep…" Alex suggested.

Sonny: "You still have to take me on a date first."

Alex: "Fine…"

A few moments went by. "Sonny?"

"Yes Alex?"

Alex wanted to say _I love you…_ Instead she took the easy way out. "Good night…"

Sonny smiled to herself. "Good night Alex."

Alex watched as Sonny drifted off to sleep. She softly brushed her lips against Sonny's feeling content and happy for the first time in centuries.

…

Sonny found herself all alone in the dark corridors of her old school in Wisconsin. Everything was in a surreal black and white as if she were in an old 1950's sitcom or movie.

Sonny turned around, she could see shadows coming towards her. Sonny recognized the shadows as her former tormentors.

One of the shadows screamed like a banshee. "GET HER!"

Sonny began to run towards the exit only to find it locked. Sonny pounded on the door begging for someone to open it. The malevolent shadows came closer and closer to her. One of the shadows stepped forward. It was someone who she knew but couldn't yet identify.

Before the shadows could reach her, Sonny awoke finding herself in her own bed. The morning sun crept through the curtains. Sonny looked around for Alex, it was apparent she had gone back to her room before dawn.

….

After breakfast Theresa and Sonny cleared the table while Jerry went to work. Jerry and Theresa decided to keep Max home from school for the day. Max went to the study to watch television with his uncle.

"I need to go to the gym and run some errands, could you watch Max while I'm gone." asked Theresa. "I'll probably be out until 3:00."

Sonny: "Sure thing Mrs. Russo."

Theresa grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Sonny went upstairs and joined Max and Kelbo in the study. The day was uneventful. The three watched television for awhile before lunch. Afterwards Sonny and Max took a short walk before Jerry and Theresa returned home.

…..

Later that evening at Cory Beakerman's house…

Cory poured himself another drink and sat back in his recliner. "Well it's like I told Jerry, I don't know what could have happened to Harper's book. Maybe Justin did throw it out. Or it could have gotten lost."

Alex shook her head. "No, Justin hid the book somewhere safe. He was much too responsible to just simply discard it."

Cory chuckled. "I have to say Alex I wish my students shared the same passion you have for history. Especially when it comes to local history."

Sonny sat on couch beside Alex. She attempted to show some interest in the conversation but quickly grew bored. She had brought Alex over to Cory's house as she was keen on meeting him. Sonny had no idea that Alex was such a history buff like Cory was.

Cory took a sip from his glass immersing himself in deep thought. "Alex… is that short for something?"

Alex looked up. "Alexandra… It's a name prevalent in my family…"

Cory nodded. "You look just like your ancestor… You've probably noticed her portrait."

Alex: "Do I now?"

Cory: "It's… Well never mind…"

Cory put his drink down on the table. "You know Justin did leave Zeke some of his belongings after he died."

"How did my…" Alex had to stop herself in midsentence before she said 'my brother' which would have exposed her true identity. "How did Justin die?" Alex wanted to ask Harper the same question but she couldn't fully trust Harper.

Cory: "According to legend, Justin was out riding his horse. Something startled the horse and Justin was thrown to the ground. He was killed when his head struck a rock."

Alex held back the tears. "So it's possible that Justin left the book to Zeke?"

"I don't think so…" Cory stood up. "Wait here for a moment." Cory headed out the room leaving the two girls alone.

Sonny yawned and glanced over at Alex. "This doesn't count as a date."

Alex wiped her eyes and turned to Sonny. "Pardon?"

"This isn't a date. You still have to romance me... sweep me off my feet." Sonny giggled.

Alex leaned forward. "I'll take you to dinner… then we'll walk on the beach in the moonlight… just the two of us…"

Sonny leaned towards Alex, their lips almost meeting. "I can't wait…"

Before Alex and Sonny could kiss, Cory walked in the room. "I'm not disturbing you am I?"

Embarrassed, Sonny sat back in her seat.

Cory placed an old book on the coffee table; it was bound by a hard cover. "This might interest you…"

Alex glanced at the book. "That's not the book I'm looking for."

Cory knelt in front of the table. "I know it's not. This was Justin's diary. For some reason he left it to Zeke when he died."

Cory flipped through the pages. "I have a weird feeling that Justin may have disclosed the location of Harper's book in his diary. Maybe Justin only trusted Zeke with the location."

Cory stopped at one of the pages. "I must be stupid…"

Sonny turned to Cory. "You're not stupid Cory…"

Cory shook his head. "No, it's just that I was always curious about the Russo manor. About where Justin kept his fortune hidden. Jerry's aunt let me and Brock look around the house a few times but we never found anything. The location was in Justin's diary all along."

Cory read from the page. "_By the foot of the lion is where you'll find my sister._"

Cory looked up at the girls. "I don't know what Justin meant by finding his sister… But that secret passageway that Jerry and Kelbo found a few weeks ago… There was a switch on the bottom of the statue that concealed the doorway to the passage… the statue was a knight with the face of a lion… It makes sense now."

Cory turned the pages. "This might be a clue to the location of the book or perhaps where Justin kept the rest of his fortune. _The source of her torment and that which is pure evil is in the arms of a love we never knew._"

Sonny: "Evil?"

Cory shrugged. "Well perhaps Justin was referring to the saying that money is the root or source of all evil. It could mean the location of the book too. I mean Harper did have the reputation of being a witch."

"You're telling me…" Alex muttered under her breath.

Cory glanced at Alex. "What's that?"

Alex shook her head. "What did Justin mean by the arms of a love we never knew?"

Cory skimmed through the rest of the page. "I have no idea. Zeke might have known but he never told his family or anyone else anything."

Cory closed the diary and handed it to Alex. "Why don't you keep it? I mean it did belong to your family."

Alex grabbed the book. "Thank you…"

Cory: "Well it was only collecting dust in my attic anyways. But if you do find anything let me know."

Alex nodded. "I will…" She glanced over at Sonny. "We should be leaving…"

Sonny: "Already? Well good night Cory."

Cory smiled at Sonny. "Good night Sonny." He turned to Alex. "Nice meeting you again Alexandra."

Cory led Sonny and Alex to the front door. Jerry's car was waiting outside. Cory watched as the girls climbed in the car before closing and locking the door.

…..

Alex immediately headed to her room with Justin's dairy.

"Can I help at all Alex?" Sonny asked.

Alex looked into Sonny's eyes. "This is something I need to do alone…" She lightly touched Sonny's hand. "For now…"

Sonny: "Okay then… good night Alex."

Sonny headed to her own room. She changed into her pajamas and checked her phone for any messages. Sonny had one message wanting her to call back immediately. She dialed the number which she knew all too well. It was the number of her father's live-in nurse Mrs. Grady. Sonny feared for the worst.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Grady, this is Sonny."

Mrs. Grady seemed distraught. "I hate to be the one to tell you this Sonny but your father's in the hospital. The doctors are only giving him a few days to live."

Sonny ignored the rest of what the woman had to say, she hung up the phone and cried into her pillow.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 26

The following afternoon…

Cory kept his eyes on the road; they had just crossed the Massachusetts state border.

Sonny had been on her phone for most of the trip down. She had first called the hospital to see if there was any change in her father's condition. Sonny was still hoping that there was a chance that her father would make a miraculous recovery. Unfortunately Mr. Munroe's health grew even worse to where he could measure the remainder of his life in moments.

Sonny also tried calling her sister but she was unable to reach her. Sonny left a message for Mitchie to call her back.

Cory turned to Sonny after she got off the phone. "Are the doctors certain?"

Sonny nodded. "The doctors don't expect dad to make it through the night."

Cory tried to think of something encouraging to say to Sonny but all he could muster was "I'm so sorry Sonny."

Sonny wiped her eyes. "Thank you Cory… And thank you again for bringing me down…"

"It's no problem at all." Cory casually stated.

Finally they reached the hospital. Before Cory could find a parking spot, Sonny jumped out of the car and ran into the building.

Sonny went straight to the front desk. "My father is in intensive care… David Munroe…"

The receptionist told Sonny to have a seat before paging a doctor. Sonny took out her phone and tried calling Mitchie again.

Cory came into the building and looked around for Sonny. Finally he saw her standing in the corner of the waiting room.

Sonny was almost screaming into her phone. "Damn it Mitchie! Dad's dying! Please…" Sonny began to cry hysterically.

Cory took the phone away and hung up. He placed his hand on Sonny's arm, helping her to a nearby chair.

A short time later a doctor approached Sonny and Cory. "Miss Munroe?"

Sonny stood up prepared for the worst. "My father?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry… We tried everything but there's nothing more we can do now… The cancer has spread too far... We don't know how much longer he has left but it isn't long… You can go in and see him if you wish to."

The doctor led Sonny to her father's room. Cory had to stay behind in the waiting room since he wasn't part of the immediate family.

Sonny's father was hooked up to various machines and IV's. He had lost even more weight since Sonny had last seen him. But he looked to be at peace for the first time since the doctors discovered the cancer.

"If you need anything you can press that button to page a nurse." The doctor left the room.

Sonny sat down and held her father's hand. "Daddy?"

David Munroe opened his eyes. "Mitchie?"

Sonny shook her head. "No dad, its Sonny…"

David tried to sit up but couldn't. "Oh Sonny… You shouldn't be here seeing me like this…"

Sonny tried not to let her father see her cry. She looked away.

David looked around the room. "Where's Mitchie?"

"She's… in the waiting room." Sonny lied. She didn't want her father to know that Mitchie wanted nothing to do with him.

David: "You were always a bad liar Sonny. Remember when you broke that vase when you were little. You tried blaming it on the dog…"

Sonny kept holding her father's hand, she tried to smile. "I remember daddy…"

David frowned. "I guess I only have myself to blame for Mitchie not coming. How is your sister anyways?"

"Really good… She's in California and…" Sonny noticed that her father's eyes were closed; he didn't seem to be breathing. "Daddy?"

David's eyes opened. "Oh Sonny? When did you get here? I'm glad to see you."

…..

At the Russo manor around the same time…

Jerry came home tired from work. Theresa was in the dining room setting the table. "Hi hon, what's for dinner?"

Theresa placed the last plate on the table. "I made some lasagna."

Jerry rubbed his hands together. "Sounds great. So how was your day?"

Theresa: "Max had a good day at school. I have some bad news with Sonny though. Her father's in the hospital…"

Jerry: "What's wrong with him? It's not serious I hope."

Theresa: "Sonny said he has cancer. From what she said it's terminal… he doesn't have much longer… I told her that she could take as much time as she needs."

Jerry sighed. "Damn… I hope she'll be back before we leave…"

Theresa: "Kelbo will be here to watch Max…"

Jerry: "I suppose… Well I hope her father pulls through."

Theresa called Max and Kelbo to the table for dinner.

Alex awoke as the sun set. Eager to see Sonny she went downstairs. Jerry, Theresa, Max, and Kelbo were sitting at the dining room table having dinner.

"Where's Sonny?" asked Alex.

"Sonny went back home. Her father is in the hospital…" Theresa explained.

Alex's eyes widened. Saddened by the news, she went back upstairs to her room.

….

Westwood Hospital, just outside of Boston…

For the next hour, Sonny's father kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Sonny tried her best to converse with him. At times he would forget her name or confuse her with her sister Mitchie.

David Munroe opened his eyes for the last time and stared at the girl in front of him. "Who are you?" he asked Sonny.

Shocked, Sonny answered. "Your daughter… Sonny…"

With the last of his strength, David pulled his hand away. "I don't have a daughter. Where am I? I want to go home…"

David closed his eyes. Immediately the line on the heart monitor went flat. A doctor and two nurses rushed into the room pushing Sonny aside. The doctor tried to revive David to no avail.

The doctor turned to Sonny. "I'm sorry Miss."

Sonny ran out of the room in tears. All she could think about was finding somewhere where she could be alone.

….

Cory was in the waiting room watching television. He glanced at his watch. Sonny had been gone for a few hours now.

Cory approached the front desk. "Excuse me. I came in with Allison Munroe. I was just curious to see how her father was doing."

The receptionist glanced at her computer. "Munroe… We have a David here…"

Cory: "I believe that's his name…"

"Let me see if I can find someone to help you." The receptionist picked up a phone to page a doctor.

Cory noticed Sonny running down the hallway. "Never mind Miss. Thanks anyways though…"

Cory ran over to Sonny. Her makeup was smeared from her crying. He immediately knew that the news was bad.

Cory grabbed Sonny's arm. "What happened? Are you alright? Sonny…"

Sonny looked up. "Dad's… he's dead…"

Cory looked into Sonny's eyes. "I'm so sorry Sonny…"

Sonny: "Dad didn't even recognize me at the end… He said he didn't have a daughter…"

Cory: "He didn't know what he was saying Sonny…"

Sonny cried into Cory's jacket as Cory held her close to him.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 27

The next morning (Thursday)…

Cory awoke around 6:00 in the morning. He and Sonny had stayed at her father's house instead of a hotel after they left the hospital. Sonny took her old room while Cory slept on the couch in the living room. He didn't feel comfortable taking Mr. Munroe's old bedroom.

Cory walked into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Sonny was alone sitting at the table.

"Were you able to get any sleep?" asked Cory.

Sonny shook her head.

"I'll make some breakfast." Cory suggested.

Sonny looked up. "I'm not hungry…" It was apparent that Sonny had been up all night crying.

Cory took out some eggs from the refrigerator and threw four pieces of bread into the toaster. He scrambled the eggs and divided everything on two plates. He placed one plate in front of Sonny.

Cory: "At least try to eat something."

Sonny took a few bites. "They're burying dad tomorrow…"

Cory: "Is anyone else coming to the funeral?"

"Mitchie refuses to come… I guess she still can't forgive dad…" Sonny looked up at Cory. "I don't want to call mom…"

Cory: "I don't expect you to either. If you want I'll stay…"

Sonny: "You don't mind? I was planning on staying for a few days... maybe a week. I need some time…"

Cory: "It's not a problem. I'm going to the store to pick up a few things. Did you need anything?"

Sonny shook her head. "I can't think of anything right now… I was going to call Mrs. Russo after lunch."

Cory finished his breakfast and grabbed his car keys. "I won't be long."

After Cory left Sonny took out a pen and a piece of paper and began to write.

….

Mr. Munroe was buried that Friday afternoon. There was a small gathering at the funeral made up of David Monroe's old friends. Sonny was the only member of the family to attend.

After the funeral Sonny and Cory stayed behind as everyone else went home.

Sonny turned to Cory. "Could I have a moment alone?"

Cory nodded. "Of course. I'll be by the car."

Sonny watched as Cory walked over to his car. She took out a folded up piece of paper. "I wrote this letter for you… I always wanted to tell you this daddy but I never had the strength to when you were alive."

Sonny read out loud. "I'm still hurt that you left Mitchie and me. I used to think you left because you didn't love us… and it tore me up inside. Mom used to blame us for you leaving. But I've made peace with that and I'm not angry with you now… I'm glad we had some time together… to make up for all those years… I… I can't cry anymore… I've cried for too long… and I'm going to start living my life now… I deserve to be happy."

Sonny wiped the tears from her eyes. "I love you. I'll see you again one day… Goodbye daddy…"

Sonny placed the letter back into her pocket and walked over to where Cory was waiting.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 28

Friday night at the Russo Manor…

Jerry headed up to Alex's room curious if she was making any progress with finding Harper's book. Jerry reasoned that the sooner that Alex found the book, the sooner she would be out of his hair.

Alex was sitting on the bed silently reading her brother's diary. This was the only thing that took her mind off of Sonny's absence. Alex had long stopped believing in miracles and divine intervention but she silently prayed that Sonny would come back to her.

Jerry stood by the doorway. "Any luck yet?" Alex shook her head.

Jerry stepped in the room. "Anything I can help with?"

Alex threw the book to the ground in frustration. "It's hopeless!"

Jerry reached over and picked up the book. "There's nothing else that could tell you where the book is?"

Alex flipped through the pages. "The only clue Justin left was this vague passage." Alex pointed directly to the section she was referring to.

Jerry read out loud. "The source of her torment and that which is pure evil is in the arms of a love we never knew." Jerry turned to Alex. "What do you suppose that means?"

Alex: "I don't know… I know that Justin was referencing Harper's book… But I don't know what Justin meant by the book being in the arms of a love we never knew…"

Jerry began pacing across the room. "A love we never knew… Maybe Justin was in love with someone else… You think that's what he meant?"

Alex: "Justin was courting a girl before he was engaged to Harper… Sarah Miller... Justin was quite taken by her…"

"Do you think Justin gave her the book?" Jerry asked.

Alex: "She died from the plague… before Justin even began courting Harper."

Jerry: "What about her family?"

Alex: "I don't believe that Justin would have trusted the girl's parents with the book…"

Alex sat up. "It's possible that Justin might have buried the book with the girl… There it would be in her arms…"

…

Saturday evening, Westwood Massachusetts…

Sonny and Cory were sitting at a local restaurant. They had just placed their orders with the waitress.

Cory glanced over at Sonny, worried for the girl's emotional state. He was especially worried that the death of her father would cause her to start cutting again.

But Sonny seemed to be in a much better mood now which surprised Cory. They had spent the day walking around town, browsing through the local stores.

Sonny noticed Cory's concern. "Is something the matter Cory?"

Cory shook his head. "Nothing… Well I guess I'm just worried about you Sonny. You seem to be doing much better now."

Sonny nodded. "I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself. I want to be happy. I want to start living my life. Is that wrong to say right after my father has just died?"

Cory lightly patted Sonny's hand. "That's actually a relief to hear. And your father would want you to be happy."

The waitress came back with their dinners. Sonny and Cory began eating.

Cory cut into his steak. "So did you decide to try out for that show you were telling me about?"

Sonny: "_So Random!_? Yes, I'm probably going to move to California later next month to give Mr. and Mrs. Russo enough notice. I do owe that to them after all they've done for me."

Cory: "So what about Alex? Are you going to try to work out a long distance relationship?"

Sonny: "I invited Alex to come to California with me… She said she had something personal to take care of first."

Cory: "I see. Well hopefully everything works out for you two."

Sonny: "So what did you think of Alex?"

Cory thought for a moment. "She seems nice… You said she was from England?"

Sonny: "Alex said she was from a small town in England. She hasn't told me that much about herself."

Cory: "Well she could be a dead ringer for her ancestor. Funny how she's named after her too. You said she has diabetes which causes her to sleep the whole day?"

Sonny nodded.

"Have you ever seen her awake at all during the daytime?" asked Cory.

Sonny shook her head. "No… Alex must be a heavy sleeper. She never answers her door. What's wrong Cory?"

Cory smiled. "It's nothing… I think you guys make a great couple. And I think you'll really do well in California."

Sonny: "You could visit us sometime; Mitchie's dying to meet you."

Cory: "Sure. Actually I'm planning to move to Arizona permanently after this school year so I would be able to visit you guys more often."

Sonny: "Really?"

Cory: "My friend is the dean at Arizona State. He offered me a teaching position. I think I'll take it. It would be a nice change and enough reason to get out of this cold weather."

Cory looked up at Sonny. "I guess I'm looking to make a new start as well." Cory held up his glass of Pepsi. "Here's to new beginnings…"

Sonny smiled. "To new beginnings…"

…..

After Midnight, at the Castlestone cemetery…

Jerry and Alex stood in front of an old grave. The headstone read _Sarah Miller 1758-1775_.

The cemetery was located at the edge of town. Jerry was glad that the area was secluded enough so they wouldn't be caught trespassing. It was rare that the police would patrol the area and the town only employed one caretaker. Jerry parked his car far enough so that no one would spot them.

It didn't take them long to find Sarah Miller's grave. Alex had gone to Sarah's funeral although with the newer graves she had some trouble remembering the exact location. Alex seemed certain that Justin had buried the book with his first love even though she didn't provide any reasoning to back up her hunch.

Jerry sighed as he began to dig. "How did I let you talk me into this again? You do know we could do up to five years for grave robbing if we're caught."

Alexandra rolled her eyes and ignored Jerry's complaints. After about 20 minutes, Jerry uncovered Sarah's casket. Most of the wood had rotted away. The foul odor caused Jerry to become sick.

Jerry lifted himself out of the hole. He looked up at Alex. "Here I did all of the digging… You can look inside."

Alex jumped below while Jerry shined his flashlight on the casket. Without hesitation Alex opened the casket revealing a skeleton and nothing more. Despondent that the book was not there Alex slammed the lid shut.

Alex crawled out of the hole and headed to the car while Jerry covered the grave back up. A short time later Jerry joined Alex in the car.

"So what next? Maybe Justin had another girlfriend?" Jerry asked.

Alex shook her head. "No, Sarah was the only one besides that sow he wound up marrying… I wish Sarah had lived and married Justin instead… all of this would have been avoided."

Alex sighed. "Let's just go home…"


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 29

Sunday Afternoon, Westwood Massachusetts at a small recording studio…

Cory was sitting in the control room with Sonny's friend Randal who owned the recording studio in town. Sonny was in the live room tuning her guitar.

Sonny had wanted to visit her old friend while in town. She had mentioned to Randal that she was working on new material. Randal had offered to record one of her songs so Sonny would have a demo ready for when she went to California.

"So Sonny used to come here all the time?" inquired Cory.

Randal nodded and grinned. "For a time Sonny practically lived here. She was here more than I was."

Sonny's voice came over the intercom. "Are you guys talking about me?"

"Of course we are love." Randal joked. "So are you ready yet?"

"Yep!" Sonny chirped.

Randal motioned for Sonny to begin. "And take one…"

Sonny started playing her guitar.

_Before I fall too fast  
Kiss me quick, but make it last  
So I can see how badly this will hurt me  
When you say goodbye_

_Keep it sweet, keep it slow_  
_Let the future pass, and don't let go_  
_But tonight I could fall too soon_  
_Into this beautiful moonlight_

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me_

_See this heart won't settle down_  
_Like a child running scared from a clown_  
_I'm terrified of what you do_  
_My stomach screams just when I look at you_

_Run far away so I can breathe_  
_Even though you're far from suffocating me_  
_I can't set my hopes too high_  
_Cause every hello ends with a goodbye_

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me_

_So now you see why I'm scared_  
_I can't open up my heart without a care_  
_But here I go, it's what I feel_  
_And for the first time in my life I know it's for real_

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling so please don't catch me_

_If this is love, please don't break me_  
_I'm giving up so just catch me_

**A/N: Song Catch Me performed by Demi Lovato, I do not own**

Sonny came out of the live room and joined Cory and Randal in the other room. "So how was it?" she asked.

Randal looked up. "That was perfect love."

Cory nodded in agreement. "It was absolutely beautiful Sonny."

Randal: "I could have some copies made up for you within a few days."

Sonny: "Thanks Randal."

…..

That evening at the Russo Manor…

Jerry was in his study reading Justin's diary. He had spent the entire day searching the house again. Unfortunately Jerry's work proved to be futile as he made no further progress with finding Harper's book.

Jerry sighed and muttered to himself. "I'll never get rid of that girl…"

On cue Alex crept into the room; she placed her hand on Jerry's shoulder.

Startled, Jerry jumped out of his chair. "You have to stop doing that!" he shouted at Alex.

"Did you find anything?" asked Alex.

Jerry shook his head. "No… I spent the day looking through the house again... I hope we don't have to wind up tearing the house down to find the book."

Alex: "Maybe I was right… that the book could be somewhere in town…"

"What made you think that Justin would have buried it with that girl anyways?" Jerry asked.

"Justin did have a morbid sense of humor at times…" Alex explained.

Jerry: "Well we exhausted that option anyways… Did Justin have a prized possession?"

Alex: "What do you mean?"

Jerry: "Well that one clue he gave… By the foot of the lion is where you'll find my sister… Justin didn't mean a real lion; he was referring to a statue."

Alex: "That's right…"

Jerry: "Well maybe Justin was referring to an object in the house that led to another passageway. Maybe it was a favorite belonging of his... something that he might have cherished?"

Alex: "Perhaps… I can't think of anything in particular though…"

Jerry: "Maybe it could be a statue of something that has to do with love. Like a statue of Cupid… I don't think I saw anything like that in the house though…"

Alex: "But Justin said that it was a love we never knew… That's why I thought it may have been buried with Sarah… Justin and Sarah weren't together for that long. But I was wrong… I wonder who else Justin could have been referring to when he said _a love we never knew_."

Jerry rubbed his eyes. "Man this sounds like one of those Agatha Christie mysteries…"

Alex: "Who is Agatha Christie? Could she help us find Harper's book?"

Jerry: "I think she's dead… She used to be a writer. My mother was a huge fan of hers. She must have owned all of her books…"

Jerry noticed that Alex had frozen in place as if she were in deep thought. "What's wrong Alex? Was it something I said?"

Alex: "I was right about Justin burying the book but I was wrong about with who he might have buried it with… A love we never knew... Such as a mother's love…"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 30

The Russo Manor, 1800

The entire room sang in unison to Justin. "Happy Birthday to you…"

Justin tried his best to smile but couldn't. He muttered a quick 'thank you' to his guests before retiring to his study.

Justin closed the door behind him and poured himself a drink. He glanced up at his sister's portrait that hung over the fireplace. "I wish you were here with me Alexandra… I wonder if you've aged at all during this time… I wonder if you're aware of your surroundings… I'm so sorry Alexandra…"

Justin finished his drink and poured himself another.

Harper came into the room. "Justin, we have guests."

Justin glanced over at his wife. "I know…"

Harper watched as Justin poured a third drink. "What's wrong Justin? You haven't been yourself lately."

Justin chuckled. "What could be wrong? I have everything a man could want… A beautiful wife who looks as if she hasn't aged at all for the past 20 years…"

Harper: "And what do you mean by that?"

Justin put down his drink. "It's nothing… I'll be out in a few minutes Harper…"

Harper left Justin alone in the study and joined her guests back in the dining room. Justin sat back in his chair, immersed in deep thought.

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!" he called out to his guest.

A large bearded man came into the room. Justin immediately stood up and shook the man's hand. "Mr. McPherson."

Mr. McPherson: "Sorry I missed the festivities Justin."

Justin tried to smile for his guest. "There's still plenty to eat. But I wanted to show you something first."

Justin went over to his desk and pulled out a book. "I found this book hidden in my cellar a few days ago. I can't make heads or tails out of it…"

Mr. McPherson glanced at the book. "Well it's definitely in Gaelic… And the binding… This was bound by human skin…"

"I knew it…" Justin muttered softly.

Mr. McPherson looked up at Justin. "What's that?"

Justin shook his head. "It's nothing… So can you translate it for me?"

Mr. McPherson skimmed through the pages while Justin poured his guest a drink. Mr. McPherson was a business partner of Justin and Zeke's. He had moved from Scotland to America years after the War.

Several minutes later Mr. McPherson closed the book and handed it back to Justin. "I can only make out a little bit of it. This is Irish Gaelic… I'm Scottish."

Justin was embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on the subject. "And the part you were able to make out?"

Mr. McPherson: "Just some hogwash about demons and vampires…"

Justin began to shake uncontrollably from shock upon hearing what Mr. McPherson had just said. The book fell out of Justin's hands. Concerned for his host, Mr. McPherson helped Justin to the chair.

Mr. McPherson: "Do you need a doctor Justin?"

Justin: "No! What else did the book say?"

Mr. McPherson: "That's all I could make out… Your wife's Irish right? Maybe she can translate the rest."

Justin looked up at Mr. McPherson. "Don't speak of this to Harper."

Mr. McPherson nodded. "I won't."

…

Hours later…

Harper stood alone in the parlor watching as the last of the guests rode off in their carriages.

Harper closed the door. She turned around and saw Justin standing there, his face was pale and emotionless. "What's gotten into you Justin? That was quite rude of you to ignore our guests tonight."

Justin held up Harper's book. Not knowing what to say, Harper just stared at the book.

Finally Harper asked, "What's that you have Justin?"

Justin: "I think you damn well know what it is… Mr. McPherson was able to make out part of it."

Harper: "Justin… you should know that…"

Justin grabbed Harper by the throat and slammed her against the wall. "IT WAS YOU!"

Harper struggled to speak but couldn't as Justin began to choke the life out of her.

"My sister is a monster because of you! My father died believing a lie!" Justin squeezed tighter. "And Sarah? Were you responsible for her death as well?"

Justin's seven year old daughter Isabella came into the room. She had red hair just like her mother. "Father…"

Upon hearing his daughter's voice, Justin released his grip; Harper fell to the ground almost unconscious. Justin turned around, his eyes met Isabella's. "Isabella? Go back to bed!"

The little girl grew even more frightened. Justin smiled for her. "Please… Your mother and I are just playing a game."

Isabella nodded silently. "Will you read me a story later?"

Justin: "Of course, but you have to do what I say and go to bed."

The little girl ran back upstairs. Justin turned his attention back to Harper.

Harper struggled to regain her breath. "You bastard!" she spat.

Justin opened the front door. "If it was not for our children, I would have killed you."

Justin picked Harper off the floor. He shoved her outside. "If I see you again I'll make sure that you burn!"

"But what will I do? How will I survive on my own?" Harper cried.

Justin ignored his wife's pleas and slammed the door shut.

…..

Weeks later…

Justin pushed the other end of the chest into Zeke's personal study.

Justin turned to his servant. "Thank you Franklin. Could you give us a second?" Franklin nodded and headed out the room.

Justin sat down to catch his breath while Zeke looked through the chest.

"Are you sure you want me to have all this Justin?" Zeke asked.

Justin nodded. "I especially want you to keep my diary safe Zeke. You're the only one I trust with it. Keep it safe."

Zeke: "Do you think we'll ever find a way to set Alexandra free?"

Justin: "We can't give up hope… If we can't find a cure then perhaps one day someone else will be able to…"

Zeke's wife came into the room. "Oh Justin, are you staying for dinner?"

Justin shook his head. "I should be getting back."

Zeke showed Justin to the front door. "I'll see you tomorrow Justin?"

"I hope so…" Justin placed his hand on Zeke's shoulder. "You've been a great friend Zeke."

Zeke smiled. "Thank you Justin… That means a lot to me…"

Justin headed out the door where Franklin was waiting. He climbed on his horse and rode off.

…

Several minutes later…

Justin stopped his horse and gazed up at the sky. "Such a beautiful sunset…"

Franklin nodded in agreement. "It sure is Mr. Russo…"

The two men continued to ride down the coastline as it was the quickest way back home from Zeke's house.

Justin's horse began to squeal loudly alerting the men that something was nearby. Justin tried to calm the horse down. "What's the matter boy?"

Justin held the reigns tightly to gain control over the animal. Franklin hopped off his own horse and looked around.

Justin's horse took a few steps forward. A black snake slithered out from one of the nearby rocks. The snake extended its hood and hissed at the horse.

Justin's horse began to buck violently. In the process Justin was thrown to the ground, his head struck a jagged rock. Justin's eyes were glazed over, blood poured from a large gash where Justin had hit his head.

Franklin didn't see the snake at all. By the time he reached Justin the snake had slithered away, remaining out of sight.

Franklin shook Justin's body praying that his employer was alright. "Mr. Russo! Mr. Russo!" Justin remained motionless, his body showed no signs of life.

The snake watched as Franklin unsuccessfully attempted to revive Justin. Once it was certain that Justin was dead, the snake slithered into the woods. In the woods the snake took on human form.

"You should have never thrown me out Justin…"

Harper began to whistle softly as she walked through the woods.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 31

Monday evening, Westwood…

Cory was in the kitchen helping Sonny wash the dishes after dinner.

Sonny: "I was thinking about heading back Thursday…"

Cory started putting the dishes away. "I really don't mind if you want to stay longer." he assured Sonny.

Sonny dried off the last dish. "I have to get back. Mr. and Mrs. Russo are leaving Sunday."

Cory: "I thought Brock told me that the auction wasn't until the week after…"

Sonny shrugged. "I guess Mr. and Mrs. Russo wanted some time alone." Sonny smiled. "It's so romantic."

"Plus Max's birthday is this Saturday." Sonny added.

"I'm sure you also want to get back to see Alex as well." Cory mentioned in jest.

Sonny rolled her eyes at Cory before excusing herself. She headed back to her room. Sonny stood by the window and gazed up at the sky. The entire time she thought about Alex.

…

Around the same time at Castlestone Maine…

Jerry Russo and Alex stood inside the mausoleum that was used exclusively by the Russo family for generations. The tomb was cold and dark. Cobwebs littered the walls.

Jerry shined his flashlight on the plaque above the niche where the body was interned. 'Danielle Russo…'

Alex watched as Jerry pulled out the casket. There was an uneasiness in her voice. "Father told me that mother died shortly after I was born. There was some complications during the birth. Justin was around two at the time… He didn't remember her either…"

Jerry glanced at the dates on the plaque. Alex's mother was only 25 when she died.

Jerry finally lifted up the lid of the casket. Shocked by what he saw, Jerry stared at the body for several moments. The dead woman looked as if she had been buried that very day. Her face was still youthful with no signs of decomposition. It was apparent that Alex resembled her mother. And there was Harper's book, right in Danielle Russo's arms. Her body looked to be at peace.

Jerry looked up at Alex. "What's going on here?"

"It must be the magic from the book…" Alex reasoned.

Jerry reached inside the casket. "Well let's just get this over with…"

Alex looked away. "I can't!" She ran out of the vault leaving Jerry all alone.

Jerry thought about going after Alex. He realized that this was her mother and how hard this would be for her.

Jerry took a deep breath and in one motion grabbed the book and pulled it out of the dead woman's hands.

Jerry glanced at the book. The cover had a weird feel to it. The front of the cover almost resembled a face. It reminded him of the book from the movie _The Evil Dead_. Jerry had taken Theresa to see the movie on a date when they were first going out.

"Well that was easier than I thought…" Jerry muttered out loud.

A loud wail came from the casket. "GIVE ME BACK THE BOOK!"

Danielle Russo's corpse sat up, her lifeless eyes were focused on Jerry. She stepped out of the casket and started to float towards Jerry with her arms outstretched.

"SHIT!" Jerry exclaimed as he backed away in terror. Jerry fumbled with opening the door; he forgot that one had to lift the latch up to be able to open it.

As the corpse of Alex's mother approached Jerry, it began to decompose at a rapid pace. The book's magic had actually kept Danielle Russo's body preserved and had reversed the decomposition process. With the book no longer in her possession, the body was returning to its original state.

Before Danielle could reach Jerry, she had completely rotted away. Her skeletal remains fell to the ground in pieces.

Realizing that he was safe, Jerry breathed a sigh of relief; he opened the door and left the vault. The heavy metal door slammed shut behind him.

Alex was waiting outside, she saw Jerry leave with Harper's book in hand. She was unaware that her mother's corpse had risen and tried to attack Jerry.

"The book!" Alex exclaimed.

Jerry was still unnerved from what had just transpired in the vault. He ignored Alex and rushed over to the car. "We're leaving!"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 32

Tuesday…

Brock Roberts walked into the Sub Station. Jerry and his two employees were closing the restaurant down for the day.

A female employee approached Brock. "I'm sorry but we're closed."

"It's alright Jennifer." Jerry turned to Brock. "So what can I get you Brock?"

Mr. Roberts sat down. "I'm fine Jerry. I just wanted to take a few minutes of your time if I may."

Jerry sat across from Mr. Roberts. Brock opened his briefcase and handed a flyer to Jerry.

"Next week is the Harvest Festival." Mr. Roberts explained.

Jerry glanced at the flyer. "I heard about it…"

Mr. Roberts closed his briefcase. "It's to honor the founding of Castlestone. The festival dates back to the 1750's. We usually hold it mid-October each year."

Jerry: "I see…"

Mr. Roberts: "Beth was heavily involved with the festival committee. I know this is short notice with the festival starting next week but I was wondering if you wanted to sit on the committee. We still have a few things to go over."

Jerry: "I'm sorry but I can't. Max's birthday is this Saturday and Theresa and I are leaving Sunday. We're going to spend a few days in Vermont before the next auction."

Mr. Roberts: "I understand completely. I should have brought it up earlier anyways. So how have you been Jerry? You look like you've had a rough night."

_You wouldn't know the half of it…_ Jerry thought to himself. "I didn't get much sleep last night." Jerry glanced at his watch. "I don't mean to cut you short Brock but I'm actually meeting someone."

Mr. Roberts nodded and stood up to leave. "Of course. Well I'll see you later Jerry."

….

Jerry sat alone in the McDonald's parking lot as he waited for his contact Mr. Smith to arrive. Jerry was tempted to doze off in the car as he didn't get much sleep the night before. He tried to push the events of what he had seen last night out of his mind.

Mr. Smith knocked on the passenger side window of Jerry car. Jerry opened the door to let him in. Mr. Smith worked at the hospital in Portland. He stole prescription drugs and medical supplies to sell on the side. Jerry wondered if Smith was the man's real name or an alias that he used. Jerry noticed that Mr. Smith didn't have his package with him.

"I have to lay low for awhile. The hospital is conducting an investigation. Someone in accounting noticed all the missing supplies. I probably won't be able to get you anything for a few months." Mr. Smith explained.

Jerry ignored the rest of what the man had to say. He realized that Alex was running low on blood to feed on.

…

Jerry arrived home an hour later. On the way back he estimated how many blood packs were left. He assumed that Alex would have enough blood to get her through the next few days.

Jerry had called Harper earlier that day and informed her that they found the book. Harper said she would meet with Alex on Thursday. Jerry reasoned that Alex wouldn't need any more blood once Harper had cured her.

Theresa was waiting by the door, she seemed upset. "I called the police station. They said there's no record of the alarm going off." Theresa stated.

Jerry had lied to Theresa about his whereabouts last night. Jerry had told her that the alarm had gone off at the Sub Station and that he had to go check it out. But it wound up being a false alarm.

Theresa crossed her arms. "Where were you last night Jerry? Are you having an affair?"

Jerry stayed silent for several moments. Theresa glared at Jerry demanding an answer. "Well?"

Jerry decided to be honest or at least partially honest as to alleviate his wife's concerns and put a stop to her accusations. "I was at the cemetery…"

Surprisingly Theresa seemed to believe her husband. Her angry glare was replaced with a look of concern. "What were you doing at the cemetery at that hour?"

Jerry: "Justin's book… the one Alex was looking for… It was at the family mausoleum. I went over and got it. I can show it to you if you don't believe me."

Theresa: "All this for a book?"

Jerry shook his head. "I don't need this right now Theresa. I'm not having an affair either." He started up the stairs.

Theresa called out to her husband. "Don't shut us out Jerry. Max needs you. I need you…"

…..

Jerry tossed and turned on the couch. He felt guilty about lying to Theresa and decided to sleep in the study. He started to dream.

Jerry found himself back at the Sub Station in New York. He was in the kitchen while Theresa and Max were out on the floor. The place was filled with customers.

Two masked men came in and demanded that Theresa empty the cash register.

A thousand thoughts raced through Jerry's mind. _I have to protect Theresa and Max… _

But all Jerry could do was stay back in the kitchen and hope that the robbers would leave after they took what they wanted.

The gunmen paid no attention to Jerry. Instead their attention was on the customers. One of the gunmen noticed a customer wearing an expensive Rolex.

"Give me your watch!" The first gunman told the customer.

The customer refused to give up his watch. Sensing an opening, the customer lunged at his assailant attempting to wrestle the gun away.

The gun accidently went off during the ensuing struggle. Max fell to the ground clutching his arm, the bullet left a trail of blood. Theresa screamed; the other robber held her back. The first gunman and the customer kept fighting over the gun. The robber was able to overpower the other man and retrieve his weapon. He fired three rounds into the customer's chest, killing him instantaneously. Max saw everything. He fell unconscious due to shock and loss of blood from his wound.

Jerry stayed hidden in the corner of the kitchen. The first robber turned to his partner. "That sounds like the police, let's get out of here!"

When the two men had left, Jerry collected himself. He ran to his wife who was kneeling over Max, cradling him in her arms.

Theresa looked up at Jerry. "Where were you?"

Jerry struggled to speak. "I… I was in the kitchen calling the police."

The morning sun came through the window in the study. Jerry was alone on the couch sleeping. He kept repeating the same lie over and over in his sleep. The same lie that he told Theresa and everyone else through the years when he was questioned about that day.

"I was calling the police."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 33

Thursday afternoon…

Sonny stared out the window admiring the country scenery. The trees were an assortment of autumn colors.

"We should be back by eight at the latest." Cory mentioned to Sonny.

Sonny gave Cory a sheepish look. "Sorry I overslept…"

Cory shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I had much planned for tonight anyways." Cory glanced over at Sonny. "Another bad dream?"

Sonny nodded. "I keep having the same dream now… I keep seeing some figure come out from the dark shadows… I don't know who it is though…" Sonny shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about it."

Afraid of upsetting Sonny, Cory didn't press the matter any further. He kept his eyes on the road and listened to the music play over the car speakers.

_But you're so hypnotizing__  
You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep  
And I can see this unraveling  
Your love is where I'm falling so please don't catch me_

_If this is love, please don't break me__  
I'm giving up so just catch me_

After the song ended, Cory took out the CD and placed it carefully back in the case. "Thanks for letting me keep this."

Sonny: "You're welcome Cory, Randal made plenty of copies."

Cory decided to change the topic. "So will I see you at the Harvest Festival?"

Sonny: "Harvest Festival?"

Cory: "Yes it's sort of a town tradition. There's rides, games, all sorts of food."

Sonny: "It sounds like a lot of fun."

Cory: "It is. I still like going to it every year. I believe it starts this Tuesday and lasts until Sunday. We should go if you're game."

Sonny: "Sure, I'll bring Alex along too."

…..

That evening at the Russo Manor…

Harper flipped through the pages of her book until she reached the section that was of interest to her.

Harper looked up at Alex and Jerry. "I can definitely perform the ritual that will take the curse off of Alex. It won't be easy though."

Relieved that Alex would finally be out of his life, Jerry clapped his hands together. "Alright let's do it then."

Harper smirked. "Well someone seems a bit eager. But you'll have to wait. I need a week… two at the most to gather what I need."

"WHAT? We need this done now!" Jerry shouted at Harper.

Harper was unfazed by Jerry's shouting. "Well it's not like I can find all of this stuff that easily. Some of these ingredients are rare and hard to come by."

Alex grabbed Jerry's arm before he could say something that would upset Harper. "I waited for over two centuries to be set free, I can wait two more weeks."

Harper closed her book. "Excellent. Well I'll see you in a week or two then."

Before Harper could leave, Alex grabbed the book from her. "Until then I'll hold on to this."

Harper tried to protest but Alex refused to budge. "This way I know that you'll come back and fulfill your end of the bargain Harps. Think of it as extra incentive for you to cure me." Alex stated.

Harper threw her hands in the air. "Fine Alex…"

While Harper, Alex, and Jerry were in the office arguing, Cory's car pulled up to the driveway.

Cory turned to Sonny. "If you don't mind I'll just drop you off. I'm not in the mood right now to deal with Jerry's questions regarding his family's hidden fortune."

Sonny nodded. "Of course. Thank you again Cory." Sonny leaned forward and kissed Cory's cheek, letting him know that she appreciated all he did for her.

Cory watched Sonny as she went inside before he drove off. Sonny placed her bag on the floor beside the door. She noticed a large man sitting alone in the parlor; he seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Sonny!" Max ran up to Sonny and hugged her tight.

Sonny smiled and hugged Max back. "Hi Max! I've missed you."

Max: "I was worried that you wouldn't come back."

Sonny: "I wouldn't miss your birthday for anything Max."

Theresa had come back from the kitchen carrying a cup of coffee. "Oh Sonny! I didn't hear you come in."

Sonny: "Hi Mrs. Russo. I'm sorry that I took so much time off."

Theresa shook her head. "It's fine Sonny. We're just glad that you're back now." Theresa glanced at the grandfather clock in the foyer. "It's starting to get late Max, you have school tomorrow."

Max frowned. "Fine. Goodnight Sonny."

Sonny: "Goodnight Max."

Max ran upstairs to his room. Sonny pointed towards the man in the parlor. "So who's that?"

Theresa: "Alex's friend is visiting. That's her driver. Speaking of which…."

Theresa went into the foyer and handed the man his cup of coffee. The man took a sip without saying anything.

Theresa rolled her eyes at the man. "You're welcome." The man ignored Theresa and waited patiently for his employer.

Harper stormed right out of Jerry's office. "After all these years that girl is still as stubborn as ever!" she spat. Harper was angry at the fact that Alex had refused to let her leave with the book.

"We're leaving Kevin!" Harper barked at her employee. Kevin stood up ready to leave.

Sonny smiled at Harper and extended her hand. "Hi are you Alex's friend? I'm Allison but you can call me Sonny."

Harper rolled her eyes at Sonny. "Like I give a shit!"

Sonny frowned. "Oh… but… I see…"

Alex was still in the office waiting for Harper to leave. Upon hearing Sonny's voice her heart began to race. Alex ran up to Sonny and embraced her.

Alex: "I've missed you so much Sonny. Don't ever leave me again."

Sonny giggled, her warm smile had returned. "Ok Alex. I promise." Sonny looked into Alex's eyes. "I've missed you too Alex. I thought about you the whole time."

Harper found the whole scene amusing. "Oh, so you two are dating…"

Sonny turned to Harper. "Well we haven't been on an official date yet."

Harper extended her hand to Sonny. "I'm Elizabeth Finkle. I was married to Alex's brother."

Sonny shook Harper's hand and glanced at Alex. "You never told me about your brother Alex."

Before Alex could answer, Harper spoke up. "Well it was such a long time ago. Anyways I should be going. I'll see you later Alex."

As Harper passed by Alex, she whispered softly so only Alex could hear her. "Hopefully you two will last longer than you and Juliet did."

The comment had struck a nerve with Alex. Enraged, Alex considered going after Harper and strangling her right there. However Alex didn't want to cause a scene especially with Sonny around. Alex silently watched as Harper and her driver left the house.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 34

October 1778…

A lone carriage travelled down a dirt road; it had just crossed into Maine a short time ago. Besides the driver there were two passengers inside.

One of the passengers, an older man in his mid-50s awoke from his nap. He glanced out the window. "What a lovely day out. Wouldn't you say Miss?"

Juliet van Heusen looked up from her book. "Excuse me?"

The man shook his head. "I was just saying how nice it was outside. I didn't mean to bother you."

Juliet put down her book and glanced out the window. "Yes, it is quite lovely out sir."

Juliet had arrived in Boston a few days ago. She had finished her studies and now looked forward to beginning her new life together with Alexandra.

The man took out his steel flask and took a sip of whiskey. "The name is Jonathan by the way. Your accent… you aren't from around here?"

Juliet smiled. "I've come from France."

Jonathan looked surprised. "France? Oh… where are you heading?"

Juliet: "To Castlestone."

Jonathan took another sip of whiskey before putting the flask away in his coat pocket. "Castlestone? What on Earth are you going to that accursed place for?"

Juliet: "I don't understand…"

Jonathan: "There have been several murders there for the past month. They still haven't caught the person yet."

Shocked by the news, Juliet prayed that Alexandra was safe.

…..

Hours later…

The carriage driver stopped a mile outside of Castlestone. It was late afternoon, there was less than an hour left of daylight.

"I'm not going any further." the driver calmly stated to his passengers.

Jonathan protested. "Can't you bring the girl to the inn at least?" The driver refused to budge, he had heard the stories that came from Castlestone and was frightened of the area.

Jonathan turned to Juliet. "I'm heading to Augusta. If you want you could join me. I can arrange for a driver to take you to Castlestone tomorrow or the next day..."

Juliet: "Thank you Jonathan but I couldn't impose. Alexandra is waiting for me."

Jonathan: "I'll arrange for one of my servants to bring your luggage over to the Russo manor in the morning. You'll never be able to haul all that stuff around."

Juliet smiled. "Thank you… you are too kind."

"Think nothing of it." Jonathan pointed to the dirt path that led to the center of town. "Stay directly on the path. You'll probably reach town before dark if you hurry. Someone there will be able to bring you to your friend's house I'm sure."

Jonathan took out a small pointed dagger. "I'd feel better if you were to keep this with you for protection."

Juliet took the knife from Jonathan. She thanked him again and started down the path.

…

About an hour later at the Russo Manor…

Justin, Harper, and Zeke were in the dining room finishing dinner. They were interrupted by a loud noise that came from upstairs. Justin stood up and headed to Alexandra's room.

Zeke ran after his friend. "Justin! Where are you going?"

Justin: "To see Alexandra. I can't wait for the doctors any longer. I haven't even seen her since we left for Boston…"

Justin stood outside Alexandra's door and tried opening it but it was locked. He banged loudly on the heavy door with his fist. "Alexandra! Alexandra!"

Harper joined the two men upstairs. "Justin?"

"Stand back Harper." Justin slammed his shoulder against the door. "Damn it!" Justin muttered.

"Is there a key?" Zeke asked Justin.

Justin shook his head. "The door locks by a bolt on the inside. We'll have to break it down."

"Alright let me help Justin." Zeke offered.

The two men took several turns attempting to break the door down. Finally the bolt broke off.

Immediately upon entering the room, Justin and Zeke noticed the cold breeze come in from the open window. Justin rushed over to the window and shut it.

Justin looked around the room. "Where the hell is she?"

Zeke glanced out the window. The sun had set a short time ago. "You don't think Alexandra got out this way…?"

Justin walked back to the window and looked outside. "It's much too far to land safely… And we would have seen Alexandra walk by when we were downstairs. She has to be upstairs still…"

Justin noticed that the door leading to Alexandra's walk-in closet was off track, the molding was damaged. Justin walked over to the closet and opened it.

"MY GOD!" Justin exclaimed.

Zeke ran over to where Justin was standing. He looked inside and saw a steel casket lying on the floor. "Where did this come from?" Zeke asked Justin.

Justin turned to his fiancé. "Harper! Go downstairs!"

Harper followed Justin's instructions and left the room. She knew that everything was going according to plan. Soon Justin would discover that his own sister was a monster.

Justin took a deep breath and opened the casket lid. There was nothing inside.

….

Around the same time at the Castlestone inn…

Mason talked loudly even though the other patrons in the room ignored him.

Mason finished his drink. "General Washington's latest victory was nothing more than a complete fluke. You Americans have absolutely no chance of winning this war." Mason held up his empty glass. "Innkeeper! Another round!"

The large innkeeper approached Mason; he had grown weary of hearing Mason verbally attack his country. "Get out!"

Mason looked up at the innkeeper. "Excuse me?"

The innkeeper pointed at the front door. "I've had it with you and your big mouth. My brother is serving in the Continental Army. Leave now before I throw you out myself!"

"Well I never! So much for American hospitality." Indignant, Mason stormed out of the inn. Before he left he grabbed a bottle of Scotch off a nearby table.

Mason took several swigs of Scotch as he walked through the center of town. The streets were empty, the shops were closed down for the day and everyone had gone home.

Mason noticed a girl who looked like Alexandra Russo walking down a secluded, dark alleyway. He ran straight after the girl. "Alexandra!"

Alexandra turned around and walked over to Mason. Mason had stopped for a second to catch his breath; he leaned against a stack of empty crates. "Well long time no see Alexandra. How have you been?"

Mason looked up at Alexandra. "My God woman! You're as pale as a ghost. What are you doing alone at this hour?"

Alexandra smiled, she reached out to him. "Kiss me Mason."

Mason smiled back. "Well Alexandra, you've grown much friendlier from the last time I saw you."

….

Juliet had finally made it to town. Along the way Juliet thought about Alexandra and about all of the happy days and nights they would spend together. Even though it pained her to leave her family and friends behind, Juliet yearned to spend every moment of her life with Alexandra.

Halfway down the trail, Juliet had noticed a wounded bluebird by the woods that was trapped under a fallen branch. She selflessly took the time to help the animal and mend its hurt leg. Juliet smiled as she watched the bird miraculously fly away on its own. Unfortunately the kind act had cost her precious time making it to town before nightfall.

Juliet hoped that she could find someone at this hour that could help her find Alexandra's house. Everything appeared to be closed for the night. Before she was able to knock on a door to ask for directions, Juliet heard a scream come from a nearby alley. A voice called out. "HELP ME!"

Not thinking rationally, Juliet ran down the alley hoping that the person was alright. Her parents, friends, even Alexandra had always said that Juliet put others before herself and this time would be no different. Juliet found two people struggling but she wasn't able to make out who it was.

With the last of his strength, Mason was able to push Alexandra to the ground; he clutched his neck where Alexandra had bit him. Blood poured from the open wound. Mason took a few steps back to where Juliet was standing and collapsed into her arms. Mason fell to the ground; his weight took Juliet down with him. Mason's blood had splattered all over her face and clothes. Mason took a few short breaths and died.

"English pig!" Alexandra spat as she stood up.

Juliet's eyes widened upon realizing that the man's attacker was Alexandra. "Alexandra?"

Alexandra immediately recognized Juliet. "Juliet…" Alexandra reached out towards her lover. "Juliet… what are you doing here?"

Frightened, Juliet tried to stand up so she could escape. She was hysterical and lost control of her balance. Alexandra tried to help Juliet to her feet but Juliet pushed her away.

"Get away from me you monster!" Juliet screamed at Alexandra.

Hurt by Juliet's words, Alexandra stood there dejected. She gazed at Juliet… and at all of the blood. Her bloodlust became unbearable.

Unable to control herself, Alexandra attacked Juliet. Juliet let out a bloodcurdling scream as Alexandra's fangs tore into her flesh.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 35

Justin and Zeke raced through town, hoping to find Alexandra before anyone else did.

Justin stopped in his tracks. "Hold on Zeke! I hear something."

Zeke listened carefully. He could hear heavy sobbing nearby.

Justin pointed to a nearby alley. "This way!"

Justin and Zeke ran down the alley. They saw Alexandra kneeling with Juliet's lifeless body in her arms. Mason's body was nearby.

Alexandra was covered in blood, presumably Juliet's. Tears ran down her face. "I'm so sorry Juliet… I didn't mean to hurt you! Please come back to me my love!"

Justin stepped forward. "Alexandra!"

Alexandra looked up at Justin and Zeke. She hissed at the two men, exposing her fangs before sliding away further into the dark alley.

Justin started after her. Zeke grabbed his friend's arm. "Wait Justin! It's too dangerous to go after her."

Justin realized that Zeke was right. He also heard a group of people approaching.

"Damn it…" Justin muttered. "I don't need this now!"

Zeke turned to Justin. "Let me handle this Justin… I'll meet you back at the house later."

Justin nodded and ran from the scene.

Zeke noticed that the girl had a dagger on her. Thinking quickly Zeke came up with a lie to tell everyone. He took the dagger and placed it next to Mason.

Zeke called out to the small mob. "We have a murder here!" Some of the townspeople approached the scene.

The town's blacksmith gasped. "Not another!"

Zeke pointed to the bodies. "I think it's apparent what happened here. Mason Greyback tried to rape this girl. The girl fought back but Mason was able to take the dagger away from her. He killed her before dying from his own wounds."

The town innkeeper glanced at the bodies. "I never did trust that bastard. I should have known he was behind these murders." The innkeeper turned to Zeke. "Do you know who she is?"

"No… I heard her screaming for help but I was too late." Zeke stated.

The town's judge approached Zeke. "Will you give your statement for the court's records?"

Zeke nodded. "Of course."

…..

Justin sat in Alexandra's room waiting for his sister to come back. He was all alone in the house, he told Harper for fear of her safety to stay with her parents.

"It's not true! It's not true!" Justin kept repeating to himself.

Alexandra came into the room. "Justin…"

Justin looked up at his sister. She had long stopped crying… she was carrying an object that Justin couldn't fully see.

"It's not true Alexandra…" Justin muttered softly.

Alexandra looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry Justin…"

Justin shook his head. "No Alexandra, I'm to blame… I should have never left you alone… How did this happen?"

"I don't know… I awoke one day like this…" Alexandra explained. Alexandra looked up into Justin's eyes. "Juliet had come all this way to be with me…"

Justin rubbed his eyes. "I'm so sorry Alexandra…"

Alexandra's body trembled. "I need you to do something for me Justin…"

Justin nodded. "Of course! Anything! What is it?"

Alexandra threw the object she was carrying in front of Justin. Justin looked down at the wooden stake.

Alexandra took a deep breath. "Release me…"

Justin gasped. "I can't do that! What you're asking is too much!" Justin ran out of the room to his study. He locked the door and cried himself to sleep.

….

Hours later…

Justin awoke upon hearing a knock at his door. It was still dark out. Justin unlocked his door and opened it.

Alexandra stood right in front of him. "Dawn is only a few minutes away…" she calmly stated.

Justin looked into his sister's eyes. "I won't do it… I won't murder my own sister! I'll find a cure Alexandra. Even if it takes the rest of my life… I swear it!"

Alexandra grabbed her brother's arm. "You must Justin, before I hurt another person… I thought I could control this but I was wrong… I've started to hurt the ones I love even though I swore to myself that I wouldn't…"

Justin sat back in his chair. He wept into his hands. "No Alexandra!"

Alexandra knelt in front of Justin and held his hand. "And this way I can be with Juliet again…"

Alexandra continued to plead with her brother. "Please Justin!"

Justin stood up. "GODDAMN IT! I'll do it! God forgive me, I'll do it!"

Alexandra noticed the morning light start to creep in through the window. "Swear to me that you'll release me! And swear that father will never know what happened to me…"

Justin nodded. "I swear it on our mother's grave."

Alexandra started out the room. She stopped and took off her ring. "Keep this safe…" she tossed it to Justin who caught it in midair.

Alexandra headed to her room. She crawled into her casket, ready to leave this world forever. A single tear ran down her face.

…..

Later that afternoon…

Zeke raced his horse over to Justin's house. Justin was sitting outside, lost in his own thoughts. The wooden stake that Alexandra had given to him was lying on a nearby table.

Zeke hopped off his horse and approached his friend. "I spent the whole night answering questions at the courthouse. Everyone is convinced that Mason Greyback was responsible for all the murders in town."

Justin nodded. "Thank you Zeke…"

Zeke looked around. "And Alexandra?"

Justin stood up. "I have something to show you Zeke… You have to swear that you'll never say a word of this to anyone…"

Zeke nodded. "Of course Justin…"

Justin led Zeke to Alexandra's room and to where they had first discovered the casket. He opened the lid. Alexandra was inside the casket in what appeared to be a deep sleep.

Zeke turned to Justin. "I don't believe it… Even after last night I would have never believed that Alexandra was a vampire… What are we going to do Justin?"

Justin took Zeke out of the room. When they were far enough, Justin spoke. "Alexandra wants me to drive this stake into her heart…"

Zeke closed his eyes. "Oh Justin… I don't know what to say…"

Justin threw the stake across the hallway. "I won't do it! I'll find a cure! I know there's a way!"

Justin thought to himself for several moments. "There's some padlocks in the gardener's shed…"

Zeke nodded. "Right!" He hurried to the shed and came back minutes later with two locks.

Justin examined the locks. "These are sturdy enough…" Justin and Zeke headed back to Alexandra's room. Justin closed the casket lid and used the padlocks to seal it.

Justin beaconed to Zeke. "Help me to move this downstairs…" The two men brought the casket down to the parlor.

"Where are we taking this?" asked Zeke.

"I know a place." Justin turned to Zeke. "Could you step outside for a moment Zeke? It's not that I don't trust you…"

Zeke nodded. "I understand completely Justin." Zeke headed out the house, leaving Justin alone with his sister.

Justin walked over to a marble statue. He knelt down and pressed a hidden button. The statue moved over to the right. No one, save for Justin and a few carpenters knew about the secret passageway.

Justin dragged the casket down to a secret room. "I'm sorry Alexandra…" Justin headed out the room and moved the statue back into place.

Hours later Alexandra awoke, she was shocked to be still alive. Justin had broken his promise to her. Enraged, Alexandra tried to lift the lid up. The lid wouldn't budge; she was trapped in her coffin.

Alexandra pounded on the inside of the coffin with her fists. "JUSTIN!" she screamed. No one could hear her. For over two centuries Alexandra remained all alone…


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 36

The Russo Manor, Present Day

It was after midnight; Alex sat alone on the porch. Everyone else was asleep in the house. The whole time Alex thought about Juliet and the guilt she felt over her death. Alex ignored the cold air outside even though she was freezing.

The front door opened, Sonny stepped outside. She had a heavy quilt wrapped around her for warmth.

"Can I sit with you?" Sonny asked.

Alex nodded. "I thought you would be asleep…"

"I couldn't sleep…" Sonny answered as she sat beside Alex on the porch swing.

Alex turned to Sonny. "I'm sorry about your father Sonny…"

"Thank you…" Sonny looked up at the sky. "I'm glad I had the chance to spend some time with him."

The two girls sat in silence for several minutes. Finally Sonny spoke up. "So tell me about your family Alex. What's your brother like?"

Alex sighed. "Justin and my father are dead… And I never had the chance to say goodbye to them…"

Sonny gasped. "Oh Alex, I'm so sorry!"

Alex stared at the ground. "My mother died during childbirth… my birth… Jerry… Max and Kelbo are my only family that's left… And they don't even want me around. I lost Juliet… it was all my fault."

Alex looked up at Sonny. Tears had formed in Alex's eyes. "I'm all alone now…"

Sonny tried to comfort Alex. "You have me Alex… I guess we were both destined to meet so we wouldn't have to be alone anymore." Sonny slipped her hand into Alex's.

Alex remained silent; she didn't know what to say. She had planned for this moment since the first time she laid her eyes on Sonny. But she didn't know how to react now that it was really happening.

The two girls gazed at the stars in the sky. Finally Alex blurted out to Sonny, "I love you Allison…"

Sonny took a deep breath. "Alex…"

Alex let go of Sonny's hand and stood up. Alex's back was turned to Sonny; her feelings caused her body to shake uncontrollably.

Alex grasped the railing tightly as she spoke. "I thought I'd never find someone to love after Juliet. I never thought I would find someone who's so warm and kind… and as beautiful as she was… I don't deserve you Allison… but I need you… and I'll always love you… Centuries from now that fact will not have changed…"

Sonny wiped her eyes with the edge of the quilt. _Finally I have someone to love…_ she realized to herself.

Sonny went over to where Alex was standing. She took her hand and led Alex back to the porch swing.

Sonny held onto Alex's hand, their fingers were interlocked. The whole moment felt like a wonderful dream for both girls.

"I love you Alex…" Sonny whispered as she gazed up at the night sky.

….

Dawn was soon approaching. The two girls had stayed on the swing the entire night. Sonny was lightly sleeping; her head was resting on Alex's shoulder. She looked so peaceful.

Knowing that she had to seek refuge from the rising sun, Alex lightly shook Sonny awake. "Sonny… I have to return to my room…"

"Let me stay like this for awhile longer…" Sonny pleaded.

Alex relented and lightly stroked Sonny's hair; she wished that she could stay with Sonny and enjoy the daylight with her.

Finally the sun appeared from the horizon causing Alex great discomfort. This was the latest that Alex had stayed out. Being out in the sunlight was a death sentence for her.

Alex felt as if her skin was on fire. She jumped out of the seat and ran inside up to her room, locking the bedroom door behind her. The sole window in the room had been boarded up with a thick piece of plywood which blocked any sunlight from entering the room.

_That too close… I should be more careful than that…_ Alex thought to herself. She realized that being with Sonny was causing her to become vulnerable. But Alex didn't care, she was happy being with Sonny.

Sonny knocked on Alex's door. "Alex?"

Alex took a deep breath and opened the door an inch. "I have to sleep now Sonny."

Sonny nodded. "Well good night… err I mean good day…" Sonny shook her head and smiled. "I'll see you later tonight Alex."

"Of course Sonny." Alex closed her door and locked it as Sonny headed downstairs.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 37

The alarm clock in Jerry and Theresa's bedroom went off. Theresa woke up and hit the off switch. She glanced at the empty side of the bed and frowned. Jerry had probably fallen asleep again in the study or his office.

Theresa took a quick shower and got dressed before heading to the kitchen to start breakfast. She was surprised to see Sonny already in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

Sonny smiled. "Good morning Mrs. Russo. I hope you don't mind but I wanted to cook breakfast for everyone."

Theresa smiled back. "I appreciate it Sonny."

Theresa noticed that Sonny was almost glowing. She also noticed the heart shaped pancakes that Sonny had made. "I guess you and Alex had fun last night…"

Sonny: "We just sat on the porch and watched the stars."

Theresa: "Well we're all really glad that you're back now Sonny. You do know that Jerry and I will be leaving Sunday."

Sonny nodded. "We'll be fine."

Theresa: "I know you will."

Sonny: "Mrs. Russo… I don't want to bring this up right now but I've decided that I'll probably leave for California before Thanksgiving. But I can stay longer if you need me to."

Theresa: "We should be fine by then. I hope you'll visit us when you're able to."

Sonny: "Of course I will... Alex will be coming with me too."

Theresa: "I'm happy for you Sonny. You two seem perfect for each other. And you'll have so many opportunities in California."

Theresa helped Sonny set the table before the rest of the family joined them for breakfast. Sonny stared at the one empty seat at the table the entire time.

….

That evening…

Jerry stood outside Alex's bedroom waiting for her to awaken.

Jerry met Alex at the doorway. "We have a problem…"

Alex was prepared for the worst. "What is it?"

Jerry: "The man who was supplying us with the blood packets won't be able to get anymore blood for awhile…"

Alex seemed relieved that the news wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. "I'll be free of this curse in a few weeks. I'll just make what I have last…"

Jerry: "Are you sure Harper will be able to cure you?"

Alex: "I have to believe that she will… Especially if she wants her book back…"

Jerry followed Alex down the stairs. "Well I hope you're right…" Jerry decided to change the subject to avoid upsetting Alex. "I heard that you'll be leaving for California with Sonny next month…"

Alex nodded. "I assume you were pleasantly surprised when you heard the news that I was leaving."

Jerry: "No offense but I haven't been entirely comfortable with having a vampire living under my roof."

Alex corrected Jerry. "I won't be a vampire for that much longer…"

Sonny met Alex at the bottom of the stairs. "Hi Alex!"

Alex smiled and took Sonny's hand. Jerry watched as the two girls walked to the other room hand in hand.

…

The next morning…

Harper's Mercedes sat outside a small shop in New York. Kevin Rutten sat in the car and waited patiently for his employer to return.

Kevin was a former professional fighter many years ago. After racking up several injuries, he retired from competitive fighting and provided muscle for anyone who would meet his price.

A few years ago he started working for Elizabeth/Harper Finkle. Kevin was one of the few people who knew of her true identity.

Three teenagers who were playing basketball nearby noticed the Mercedes across the street. They headed towards the car intent on breaking in.

Kevin stepped out the car and approached the three youngsters. "Is there something I can help you guys with?" he asked. Kevin unbuttoned his sport coat revealing the firearm that was kept in his shoulder holster.

The three teenagers ran off. Kevin smiled to himself and headed back to the car.

Harper stepped out of the shop. It dealt in various relics and potions related to the occult. She noticed the youngsters running off. "What was that about?" she asked Kevin.

Kevin opened the car door for his employer. "Just some punk kids… Did you find what you needed Miss Finkle?"

Harper glanced at her list. "Almost… I just need one more ingredient now…"

Kevin: "If you don't mind me asking Miss Finkle, why are you even bothering trying to cure this girl?"

…..

New Orleans, Louisiana 1977

Harper waited in the parlor for her hostess to come back.

Mrs. Burch brought back two cups of tea from the kitchen. She handed one cup to Harper. "I'm glad you stopped by Janice."

Harper grabbed the cup from the woman. "Please call me Harper. Janice is just the alias I'm using right now. And it's not every day I meet a fellow practitioner of the dark arts. I assume your name isn't Burch?"

Mrs. Burch sat across from Harper. "You can call me Renee… My real name is extremely hard to pronounce unless you're fluent in Egyptian." Renee stared at Harper. "You're how old again?"

Harper took a sip of tea. "I'll be 217 this September…"

Renee laughed. "You're just a baby…"

Harper: "I've been told you're over 3000…"

Mrs. Burch interrupted Harper. "I'm 3,368 years old to be exact…"

Harper: "You don't look a day over 30."

Renee blushed from the complement. "Why thank you Harper."

Harper: "So how did you wind up here? In America I mean?"

Renee: "I was once married to a Pharaoh... When he died they buried me alive in the pyramid with him…"

Harper: "How did you get out if I might ask?"

Renee: "They had buried a scroll with my husband. The scroll possessed great magic."

Harper: "Just like my book."

Renee: "Book?"

Harper told the mysterious woman all about her book.

Renee: "So how long has the book been in your family?"

Harper: "Not long… A warlock had given my grandfather the book when he was a young man. My grandfather gave me the book when I was a little girl. It was right before my family immigrated to America."

Renee leaned forward. "May I see it?"

Harper: "Well the book isn't in my possession anymore… When my first husband kicked me out of the house, he kept everything… But it's not as if I need it anymore."

Mrs. Burch's face fell. "My God girl! Your soul is bound to that book just like mine is bound to my scroll. Do you know what would happen if your book was damaged or destroyed?"

Harper shook her head, she appeared clueless.

"You would be destroyed then…" Renee stated as a matter of fact.

Harper fell back in her chair as if she were hit by a ton of bricks.

…..

Present day…

Kevin started the car and drove off.

Harper turned to Kevin. "I need that book Kevin… The easier I can get it back in my possession then the better… Even if it means curing Alex… or having to kill her…"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 38

Saturday afternoon…

Theresa and Sonny were setting up the living room in preparation for Max's 13th birthday celebration.

Jerry walked into the room. Theresa looked up, surprised that her husband was back home already. He had driven Max and his friends to the movies.

Theresa: "That was quick."

"Max wanted to walk back with his friends." Jerry noticed his wife's concern. "Max has his phone on him. Besides the theater is only a couple of miles away."

Theresa smiled as she hung the last decoration. "Well I'm happy that Max has finally made some friends."

"I am too." Jerry glanced at the decorations that littered the room. "You guys did a great job."

…

Upper State New York, three years ago…

Dr. Patel turned around in his chair to face Jerry and Theresa. The expression on the doctor's face was solemn, informing them that his diagnosis wasn't good.

Dr. Patel: "Mr. and Mrs. Russo… There's no easy way to say this so I'll just come right out and say it… I feel that Max should be institutionalized."

Theresa began sobbing. Jerry glared at the doctor. "You're wrong! Max is just fine!"

Dr. Patel was unfazed by Jerry's angry demeanor. "We both know that's a lie Mr. Russo… Dr. Bukowsky has also found Max to be…"

Jerry interrupted the doctor. "Dr. Bukowsky is a quack."

"And Dr. Hill made the same diagnosis. Mr. Russo… your son has suffered a traumatic experience where he has lost all emotion and has become totally withdrawn… I've never seen such an extreme case before." Dr. Patel took out some pictures that Max had drawn. He handed them to Jerry.

Jerry glanced at the pictures. Max had drawn a man covered in blood lying on the ground. It was apparent that the man in the picture had been shot several times. Jerry threw the pictures back at the doctor.

Dr. Patel continued. "In my opinion Max needs to be placed in a facility that will be able to meet his needs. Perhaps after enough time and counseling he might be able to start a normal life…"

Jerry ignored the doctor. He turned to his wife. "Theresa we're leaving!"

Theresa followed her husband out of the office. They found Max huddled in the corner of the waiting room. Max looked up at his parents, it was apparent that he heard the entire conversation in the other room.

…

Present day…

Max, Nancy, Raquel, Ty, Deuce, and Michael were walking back to Max's house. They had just seen the movie _Sinister_ at the theater.

Ty frowned at the stain on his new jacket. "Man Deuce! The next time we watch a horror movie, don't sit next to me. You spilled soda all over my jacket!"

Deuce: "I wasn't expecting that Bughuul guy to jump out like that."

Nancy shivered. "That movie was really scary."

Ty nudged Max with his elbow. "Hey Max, you want to see something really scary?"

Nancy knew what Ty was referring to. "Ty…" she sighed.

Ty pointed to a boarded up house across the street. "See that house over there? That's the Gaultier House."

Max followed Ty to the front gate that led to the house. "Gaultier house?"

Ty: "Forty years ago Mr. Gaultier killed his wife and the man she was having an affair with right in that house. Supposedly the people who bought the house after the murders said they saw Mrs. Gaultier's ghost walking down the hallways. They moved out after a month."

Raquel rolled her eyes at her brother. "Ty, you know that's not true…" Raquel turned to Max and smiled. "It's just local superstition Max."

Michael chimed in. "I think Jimmy Dembowski is much scarier…" Everyone groaned upon hearing Jimmy's name.

Deuce looked at Max. "Jimmy's still pissed at you Max… I wouldn't want to be you for anything."

Ty lightly smacked Deuce in the back of the head. "Dude shut up!"

"Ow!" Deuce softly rubbed the area where Ty hit him.

Nancy gave Deuce a look to stay quiet. She tried to smile for Max. The group headed off to Max's house.

….

Max's birthday celebration went well. After dessert Max's friends headed home. Nancy was the last to leave. Jerry offered to drive the girl home but Nancy declined, saying that her house was only about a mile and a half away and she could walk home. Max offered to accompany Nancy. Before Theresa could protest Jerry said that it was fine.

Max and Nancy started towards Nancy's house. There was still about an hour of daylight left. Nancy turned to Max. "I had a really nice time today Max."

Max nodded. "Do you want to go to the Harvest Festival next week with me?"

Nancy smiled. "Of course…" The two soon approached Nancy's house. Nancy was relieved that her father still wasn't home yet. Most Saturdays Mr. Lukey spent the entire day at the local bar.

Max and Nancy stood outside the single story ranch. Before Max could say good night, Nancy gave Max a quick kiss on the lips. "Happy birthday Max."

Max watched as Nancy ran inside. By now the sun was beginning to set. Max headed back home, unsure of how to feel after his first kiss. Max began to smile to himself.

By the time Max reached the house it was dark out. The lights to the garage were on. Curious, Max walked over and peeked through one of the windows. Alex was inside, all alone.

Max watched as Alex drank from one of the packets. Max could immediately identify the contents. He remembered years back during the robbery when the customer's blood had splattered all over him.

Alex finished the blood pack and threw the container to the ground. She began licking her lips in a sensuous manner. As Alex did so, she exposed her long, sharp fangs to Max.

For a moment Alex's blood red eyes had met Max's eyes. Max jumped back, afraid that Alex had seen him. He cowered behind a tree that was next to the garage.

Max waited for what seemed to be an eternity for Alex to come out and find him. Unknownst to Max, Alex was in one of her blood trances and didn't see Max staring through the window.

After enough time, Max ran back to his house. His parents and Sonny were inside cleaning up. Theresa noticed that her son seemed distressed. "Max honey, is something wrong?"

Max remembered his doctors and how they had wanted to put him in an institution. Max knew that his parents would never believe what he had seen in the garage or that Alex was a vampire. They would dismiss it as him just seeing things. And his parents might start to agree with the doctors about putting him in an institution. Where he would be all alone, surrounded by insane people.

Max forced himself to smile. "Nope…" he muttered.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 39

Sunday morning…

Theresa waited in the foyer with Sonny while Jerry and Kelbo put the suitcases in the car. She had just finished giving Sonny instructions with watching the house. Minutes later Jerry and Kelbo came back inside.

"There's frost on the ground." Jerry mentioned to his wife.

Theresa seemed surprised. "We already have frost this time of year?"

Jerry nodded. "The weatherman said it's going to get even colder now."

Theresa remembered that the heat wasn't working on the third floor. It had been a relatively warm autumn so far. "Did you call the heating company yet to fix the heat upstairs?" Theresa asked her husband.

Embarrassed by his forgetfulness, Jerry turned to Kelbo. "Kelbo, could you call the heating company while we're gone?"

Kelbo: "Sure thing Jerry."

Jerry turned to Sonny. "You might want to take one of the rooms on the second floor if it gets too cold. Anyways we'll probably spend a few days in Boston after the auction. I left plenty of money on the counter. We'll be back in a few weeks."

Sonny waved to the Russo's. "Have fun Mr. and Mrs. Russo!" Sonny and Kelbo watched as Jerry and Theresa drove off.

….

Later that evening…

Sonny and Max cleared the table after dinner while Kelbo watched television in the living room. The day had been uneventful, Sonny and Max had played videogames the whole day while Kelbo watched football downstairs.

Sonny brought a stack of dishes over to the kitchen sink. The dishwasher was already full so Sonny began running the water into the sink.

Alex stood by the doorway that led to the kitchen. "Can I help?"

Sonny nodded. "Sure Alex. I'll get the rest of the dishes off the table."

Alex held a dish under the running water before placing it off to the side. Sonny came back with the remaining dishes.

Sonny noticed the plate Alex had just rinsed off. "You missed a spot."

Alex turned around. "I'm sorry Sonny… I never washed dishes before."

Sonny: "That's alright… How about I'll rinse and you dry."

Alex stood beside Sonny and dried the dishes that Sonny had just washed.

"This wasn't the romantic night I had planned." Sonny sighed as she handed Alex the last dish.

Alex smiled. "I rather enjoy doing this… I can't wait for the day when we're washing the dishes in our own home."

Sonny and Alex went to the study to talk for awhile before Sonny headed off to bed.

Sonny fell asleep immediately. Once again she found herself in the same dream that she had for the past few weeks.

Sonny was surrounded by malevolent shadows in her old school in Wisconsin. They were all the bullies that used to torment her. Once again one of the shadows stepped forward. This shadow was different however… it wasn't one of her tormentors, in fact it would have nothing to do with the other shadows. Sonny knew the person but wasn't able to identify him or her due to the darkness. Sonny didn't know how she could tell that she knew the person. It was as if she felt a connection to the lone shadow.

The other shadows approached Sonny with the intent of harming her. Usually by now Sonny would have awaken from her sleep.

Sonny began to back away in terror. "Wake up!" she screamed at herself. "Wake up!"

It was no use. The shadows closed in on her. The lone shadow turned to the others. "Leave her alone!"

The shadows obeyed and backed away from Sonny. The lone shadow approached Sonny and extended their hand to her.

Sonny awoke and sat up in her bed as the morning light came in through the window.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 40

Tuesday evening…

The town was out in full force for the first day of the Harvest Festival. The lights from the booths and carnival rides contrasted the setting sun.

Sonny, Max, and Kelbo had finished eating at one of the concession booths. Max noticed his friends nearby and went over to join them leaving his uncle and Sonny all alone.

Kelbo turned to Sonny. "I was going to go on a few rides."

Sonny: "I think I'll just wait for Alex… she said she would be here after dark."

Kelbo shrugged. "Well if you guys want to stay later, I can take Max home."

Sonny: "Thanks Kelbo…"

"Don't mention it." Kelbo started off towards a nearby rollercoaster.

Sonny noticed Cory nearby and waved to him. Cory walked over to where Sonny was sitting. "Hi Sonny, are you enjoying the festival?"

Sonny nodded. "Hi Cory… I'm just waiting for Alex. She said she would join us later tonight."

Cory sat beside Sonny. "So how have you been? Sorry I haven't called… I've been busy grading papers."

Cory offered Sonny some of his cotton candy. Sonny took a piece. "I've been pretty busy too… With watching the house... and spending time with Alex."

"How are you two getting along?" Cory asked.

Unable to contain her excitement, Sonny blurted out, "Alex told me that she loved me!"

Cory: "And you?"

Sonny: "I told Alex the same… that I loved her."

Cory: "I see…"

Sonny noticed the look of concern on Cory's face. "What's wrong Cory?"

Cory shook his head. "Nothing… well maybe I'm just a bit worried you girls might be rushing into things too fast… I mean you two just met."

Sonny: "I really feel a connection with Alex. We were both alone for so long…"

Cory: "Oh? What about her family?"

Sonny: "Alex said that most of her family had died… Jerry and his family are all that she has left."

Cory: "My God! What happened to them?"

Sonny: "Her mother died during childbirth… I don't know about her father or Justin…"

Cory's eyes widened. "Justin?"

Sonny: "That's Alex's brother… I met his ex-wife a few days ago… I think her name was Elizabeth Finkle…"

Cory's mind began to wander. "That girl Alexandra… the one I was telling you about who lived during the Revolutionary War…"

Sonny nodded. "Yes… Alex and Jerry's ancestor…"

Cory: "Alexandra had a brother named Justin… He was married to a Harper Finkle…"

"What a coincidence!" Sonny exclaimed.

Cory shook his head. "It's more than a coincidence Sonny; Alexandra's mother also died during childbirth…"

Sonny stared at Cory. "What are you saying Cory?"

Cory silently cursed the girl's naivety. But he realized Sonny would never believe his insane theory. That Alex and her ancestor were in fact the same person and that Alex or Alexandra as she was once known was a vampire.

Even Cory couldn't believe what he was thinking… but it was too much of a coincidence. A mother dead from childbirth… A dead brother named Justin… The fact that Justin was married to a Finkle… And the murders… the murders began around the same time when Jerry had discovered the secret passageway in the house. Which Cory deduced was the same time Alex had appeared.

And there was the fact Sonny had mentioned that she had never seen Alex during the daytime. In fact Alex slept all day and was only up at night. Cory also took note of how pale Alex was and how lifeless her eyes were.

Cory realized that he was becoming irrational and pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind. "Nothing… it's nothing Sonny…" Cory glanced at the night sky. "It's getting late… Do you want me to drive you home?"

Sonny: "I promised that I would wait for Alex."

Cory: "Well I'll stay with you until then."

Sonny pointed to a nearby game booth. "Want to play a game Cory?"

"Sure." Cory followed Sonny to the booth.

The game operator approached Cory and Sonny. "Step right up! Knock down six pins with one throw and win a prize. One dollar per try."

Cory handed the operator a five dollar bill. "Give me three please." The operator gave Cory his change and three rubber balls.

Cory tossed the first ball at the six stacked wooden milk bottles knocking down the top three. The operator set the fallen pins back up for Cory's second try.

"I thought you said you played baseball in high school." Sonny giggled.

"I'm a bit rusty." Cory smiled. He threw the second ball; this time he knocked down four pins.

"Oh that was close!" the game operator snickered.

"Son of a bitch…" Cory muttered. He turned to Sonny and whispered so the operator wouldn't hear. "I think this guy weighed down the bottom pins so you can't knock them all down in one throw."

Sonny: "Really?"

Cory nodded. "I read an article once about how they rigged some of the games."

The operator had set up the pins for the third attempt. "Final chance!"

Cory handed the last ball to Sonny. "Here you might as well try Sonny…"

Before Sonny could throw the ball she noticed Alex walk by. Sonny called out to her. "ALEX!"

Alex walked over to the booth. "Sonny! I've looked everywhere for you!"

"I'm glad that you came Alex." Sonny smiled.

"Are you going to stand around and talk all day?" The operator barked at the girls.

Sonny handed the ball to Alex. "Win me a prize Alex."

Alex took the ball from Sonny. "What do I have to do?"

Sonny pointed at the pins. "Knock down all the pins…"

"Good luck with that." Cory muttered.

Alex used all of her vampire strength to throw the ball. All of the pins fell to the ground; two were shattered into several pieces.

The cigar fell out of the carnival operator's mouth. The game was indeed rigged. A professional baseball player wouldn't be able to knock down the pins if the operator put the weighed down pins on the bottom.

Sonny pointed to one of the prizes. "I want that bear!"

Alex glared at the operator. "You heard the lady."

The operator handed Sonny the stuffed bear. She hugged it immediately and thanked Alex. Sonny took Alex's hand and led her to one of the rides.

"I don't friggin believe it!" the operator muttered out loud as he gazed at the shattered pins.

Cory took the operator aside. "Look I know the game was rigged so don't even try to deny it. I want to know something. Was there any possible way for that girl to win…"

The operator shook his head. "No… You would have to be the Hulk to have knocked those pins down…"

_Or a vampire…_ Cory thought to himself.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 41

Wednesday morning…

Kelbo had returned home after dropping Max off at school. Sonny was downstairs cleaning.

"I'm thinking about hitting the casinos for a few days… get some gambling in. There's an Indian reservation upstate." Kelbo casually mentioned to Sonny. "You guys should be alright by yourselves."

Sonny couldn't believe that Kelbo was so irresponsible that he would just up and leave like that.

Kelbo: "Could you do me a favor and not tell Jerry or Theresa. They don't like me gambling."

Sonny sighed. "I won't say anything…"

"Thanks… I'll be back by Sunday anyways. Guess the three of you will have the house to yourselves for the rest of the week." Kelbo headed to his bedroom and started packing.

"I guess…" Sonny muttered to herself.

…

Around Noontime…

Cory Beakerman and Brock Roberts sat at a booth in the diner waiting for the waitress to bring back their orders.

Brock: "So how have you been Cory? We missed you at the committee meetings last week."

Cory: "Sonny had a family emergency last week. I had to take her down to see her family."

Brock: "That's Jerry Russo's housekeeper?"

Cory: "Actually she's Max's nanny…"

Brock: "I didn't know you two were going out."

Cory: "We're not… We're just friends."

Brock: "Oh…"

Cory took a deep breath. "Brock… I have something to tell you… You're probably not going to believe me at all… In fact I have trouble believing it myself…"

Brock seemed interested by Cory's words. "Well what is it Cory?"

Cory: "First off you have to promise you won't say a word of this to anyone."

Brock shrugged. "Alright."

The waitress came by with the two men's orders. Cory waited for the woman to leave before he started. "Have you met Jerry Russo's cousin? Alex?"

Brock took a bite of his Reuben. "No I haven't. Is she staying with Jerry?"

Cory: "She's been staying there for a few weeks now."

Brock: "Funny, Jerry hasn't mentioned it to me. I thought Jerry and his brother were Beth's last remaining relatives."

Cory: "She came by right around the same time that Jerry found the casket in the secret passageway."

Brock: "Is that right?"

Cory: "Brock… if you've seen this girl… she looks exactly like Gerald Russo's daughter Alexandra. Only this girl looks so lifeless… her eyes especially…"

Brock put down his sandwich and gave Cory a hard stare. "Alright what exactly are you saying Cory?"

Cory: "I think Alex Russo is actually Alexandra… and she's a vampire."

Brock snickered. "That's preposterous…"

Cory told Brock about the similarities that Alex had with her ancestor. He also mentioned what had happened at the fair yesterday.

Brock shrugged. "So she's an exceptional athlete."

Cory: "The carnival operator told me that a professional athlete couldn't have knocked those pins down the way they were stacked. Two of those pins were completely shattered. No human alive could have done that…"

Brock: "So you're going to take the word of some person who admitted to rigging a game?"

Cory: "Alright what about the murders? They happened on the same night when Jerry discovered that passageway."

Brock: "The police have attributed those murders to a drug deal that went bad."

Cory rolled his eyes at Brock. "Oh give me a break! You work as a lawyer. You know damn well that some drug dealer isn't going to kill four people by tearing their throats out and draining their blood! Then there's the fact that no one has seen or heard from the Sheriff for weeks now. I don't believe he ran off like everyone is saying… I think he went to check on the Russo's and he was killed by Alexandra…"

Brock: "So you're saying the murders are the work of a vampire?"

Cory nodded. "Yes I am. I think Jerry and Kelbo accidently released Alexandra when they opened that casket. They may even know that she's a vampire…"

Brock: "So you're now accusing Jerry of… abetting a murderer?"

Cory rubbed his temple. "I don't know what I'm saying anymore… But Alex… she had a mother that died during childbirth just like Alexandra's mother."

"Women still do occasionally die during childbirth." Brock could see how upset his friend was getting. "I'm meeting Jerry at the auction this Saturday. Maybe I can talk to him and get to the bottom of this…"

Cory: "It may be too late by then… Sonny, Max, and Kelbo are all alone with her."

Brock: "Alright we'll go to the house tonight and see for ourselves if Alex is a vampire."

….

Later that afternoon…

Sonny drove Theresa's car to the school to pick up Max. Max waved to his friends as he hopped in the car.

Sonny: "Did you have fun at school today Max?"

Max nodded. "Can I stay over Deuce's house tomorrow? We have a school project due Friday."

Sonny: "I don't know Max…"

Max pushed further. "His parents said it was alright. Please Sonny."

Sonny started the car and drove off. "I guess you can… Will his parents pick you up after school?"

Max nodded. "They said I can stay over Friday night too."

Meanwhile Jimmy Dembowski watched as Max climbed into the car. After the car drove off, Jimmy headed over to where his friends were playing basketball. One of his friends missed a shot, the ball rolled over to Jimmy.

Jimmy picked up the ball. "You suck!"

Brian approached Jimmy. "What's your problem?"

Jimmy dribbled the ball. "That Russo kid! I can't get back at him… Principal Laritate threatened to expel me if I get into another fight."

Matt joined his two friends. "You know my cousin Chris?"

Jimmy: "The lunatic that tried burning his house down?"

Matt nodded. "He used to go to class with Max. In fact he heard that they were going to put Max in an institution. Supposedly he saw some guy get killed and he's all messed up because of it."

The wheels in Jimmy's mind began to turn. "Tell me more…"


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 42

Wednesday Evening…

Sonny answered the front door, surprised to see Cory and Mr. Roberts standing there. "Hi Cory… Mr. Roberts…"

Cory stepped inside. "I brought Brock around to see if he could be of any help to Alex finding that book."

Sonny glanced up the stairs. "Alex isn't up yet." she frowned.

Cory glanced at his watch and looked out the window. The last rays of light had vanished. "Oh I'm sure she'll be up any minute now…"

On cue, Alex came down the stairs. Cory nudged Brock with his elbow and pointed to Alexandra's portrait that hung in the living room.

Brock ignored Cory and met Alex at the stairs. "Brock Roberts…"

Alex shook the man's hand and forced a smile. "Alex Russo."

Cory: "So Alex I was just curious if you found Harper's book yet?"

Alex nodded. "Oh yes, Jerry and I found it over a week ago…"

Cory: "Is that right?"

Sonny spoke up. "Can I get you and Brock a soda or some snacks?"

Cory: "Sure, I'll have a soda."

Brock: "Me too…"

Sonny smiled. "I'll be right back."

"Let me help Sonny." Alex followed Sonny to the kitchen leaving the two men alone.

Brock turned to Cory. "Alright she looks exactly like Alexandra… I'll give you that but it doesn't prove anything."

Cory: "Didn't her hand seem almost ice cold when you shook it?"

Brock: "It did… But again what does it prove…"

Cory took out a small compact mirror from his jacket pocket. "Alright I'll show you the proof… According to legend vampires show no reflection in a mirror."

Brock shook his head. "Please tell me you're not going to embarrass yourself Cory."

Cory: "Don't worry… Could you distract Alex and Sonny for a few moments?"

Sonny and Alex came back to the living room with two sodas.

Brock took the glass from Sonny. "Thank you my dear." He turned to Alex. "So Alex…whereabouts in England are you from?"

Alex thought carefully. "Manchester…" It was where her father had lived before immigrating to America.

Brock continued to make small talk with Alexandra while Cory stood off to the side. He positioned the small mirror at Alex.

Cory was both relieved and disappointed to see Alex's reflection in the mirror. _Maybe I am crazy…_ he thought to himself.

Sonny turned around. "What are you doing Cory?"

Startled, Cory dropped the mirror. It shattered into several pieces on the marble floor.

"Damn…" Cory immediately knelt down and started to pick up the pieces. He thought of a quick lie to tell Sonny. "I had something caught in my eye." Cory had another thought…

Sonny knelt down beside Cory; her back was turned to Alex. "Can I help?"

Cory shook his head. "I've got it… DAMN!" A sharp piece of glass sliced into Cory's hand.

Cory held up his hand, blood poured from the cut. "Shit!"

Sonny stood up. "I think there's a first aid kit in the bathroom…"

Cory examined the wound. "It's not that bad Sonny. I'm always so clumsy..." He took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the cut.

Cory stood up. "I'll just put something on it when I get home…"

"I think I'll call it a night too…" Brock stated as he hurried over to the door.

Sonny saw the two men out. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Sonny." Cory raced over towards the cars to catch up with Brock.

Brock was still visibly shaken; his hands trembled as he tried to unlock the car door. "Cory… that girl… when you had cut yourself I noticed her…"

Brock took a deep breath and continued. "Alex was staring right at the blood… her mouth was opened… I saw what appeared to be fangs… and her eyes… they had turned blood red…"

"I saw it too Brock." Cory removed the handkerchief and glanced at his hand. "Damn I didn't mean to draw that much blood…"

Brock's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me you did that on purpose?"

Cory nodded. "I did. I thought the mirror trick might have some truth to it… but I caught her reflection. I figured one failsafe way to expose her was to draw some blood and see how she would react."

Brock: "You could have brought a cross or some garlic?"

Cory: "The legends vary… Crosses, holy water, and garlic like the mirror may or may not work… We're just lucky Alexandra didn't try to attack me right there in the room when she saw the blood. Sonny must not have seen Alex's reaction…"

Brock: "So what now? Do we call the police?"

Cory shook his head. "I don't know… The police would never believe a word of this… Besides they're understaffed with the sheriff gone."

Brock: "So what do we do? She's already killed five people… maybe more…"

Cory: "I'll have to do some research first… find out what we can use against her. You're meeting with Jerry Russo this Saturday in Boston right?"

Brock: "Yes… we're meeting at the auction."

Cory unlocked his car. "I think I'll tag along. I have some questions I want to ask Jerry."

Brock: "What about Jerry's son Max? And Sonny? We can't leave them alone with her…"

"If Alex was going to attack them then she would have already done it by now… It might not be a good idea to say anything to them until we talk to Jerry first." Cory reasoned. The two men hopped in their cars and drove off.

…

Hours later in the garage…

Alex drank a half of the packet before placing it back in the cooler. It was just barely enough to quell her thirst. Seeing Cory's blood had caused her to fall into one of her blood frenzies. She had struggled to maintain her composure the entire time in the living room. Had Sonny not been in the room, Alex would have had no trouble killing those two men. But Alex didn't want Sonny to discover that she was a monster like Juliet had found out.

_What's taking you so long Harper?_ Alex pondered.

Alex hoped that Harper was close to finding all of the ingredients needed to perform the spell. There was only one blood packet left besides the open one.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 43

Alex left the garage and returned to the house. Sonny was in the study flipping through the channels. Max had already gone to bed.

Alex sat down next to Sonny and lightly rubbed her arm.

Sonny was unable to contain her excitement. "Guess what Alex! We have the whole house to ourselves for the next two days! Max is staying with a friend."

Alex smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

Sonny smiled back. "You'll see."

Alex rested her head on Sonny's shoulder. "I had a nice time at the Harvest Festival last night. It was the first time that I felt…" Alex stopped herself from saying 'the first time she felt alive in centuries'.

Alex corrected herself. "The first time I felt happy for such a long time…"

Sonny: "Maybe we could go again this weekend. Cory told me they have a parade on Saturday."

Alex: "I'd love to go with you."

Sonny sat in the study with Alex for awhile before heading off to her room. Sonny fell asleep and began to dream once more…

…

Thursday…

Sonny returned home after dropping Max off at school. Deuce's father Mr. Martinez was picking the boys up from school allowing Sonny to have the entire day to herself.

Sonny took a shower when she got back to the house. She threw on a simple rose colored skirt with a black sleeveless top before heading back downstairs.

Sonny's anticipation grew by the hour. She thought about how she could make the night more special for her and Alex. Sonny wanted to prepare a romantic dinner for the two of them but she didn't know what she could make for Alex. Alex had said she was on a special diet without giving any specific details.

Sonny had an idea. She went to the living room on the ground floor, and set up the fireplace. Mr. Russo kept some firewood nearby and had shown Sonny how to work the fireplace.

Sonny found some scented candles upstairs. She brought them to the living room and set them on the mantel and on the tables. She went to the linen closet and laid several blankets and pillows on the floor so her and Alex would be comfortable.

Sonny decided to have a quick dinner before Alex woke up. She settled for some soup and a sandwich. Afterwards Sonny sat in the living room as the sun began to set. She tried reading a magazine but kept glancing at the clock waiting for Alex to wake up.

The sun finally set below the horizon. Sonny greeted Alex at the bottom of the stairs. Alex was wearing a sweater over her white dress to keep warm. She wore flat heel shoes for comfort.

Sonny: "I wanted to cook a romantic dinner for us but I didn't know what you would like…"

Alex smiled. "Don't worry about it Sonny. I'm not really hungry anyways…"

Sonny: "Do you want to watch a movie?"

Alex shook her head. "I have a better idea." Alex started towards the front door. "I did promise you a walk on the beach."

Sonny grabbed her denim jacket and followed Alex outside. They started down the path to the beach. The air outside was cold; Sonny wished she brought a heavier jacket. Content to be with Alex, Sonny ignored the piercing cold.

"I know a quicker way to the beach." Alex stated.

Sonny: "Mrs. Russo said to stay on the path…"

Alex held out her hand. "Trust me Sonny." Sonny took hold of Alex's hand.

Sonny followed Alex through the woods. By now most of the trees were bare, the leaves covered the ground. The moonlight above provided plenty of light for them to see.

"You know your way around Alex." Sonny mentioned.

"I visited Jerry's aunt for a few summers when I was younger." Alex lied. Minutes later they had reached the beach.

Sonny and Alex walked down the beach hand in hand. Sonny looked up at the sky. "The stars are so pretty."

Alex turned to Sonny. "Not as pretty as you…"

Sonny blushed. "Thank you Alex…"

Alex kissed Sonny's hand. "I love you so much Sonny…"

Sonny let go of Alex's hand and walked towards the ocean. Alex walked over where Sonny was standing.

Sonny trembled as she spoke. "Most nights I keep having the same nightmare… Everyone who used to bully me in high school is chasing after me… they want to hurt me."

Sonny looked out towards the ocean. "But now there's someone else in my dreams. At first I didn't know who the person was. I wake up before I can find out who they are. Last night all the kids who used to torment me had changed into monsters… they chased me through the hallways again…"

Alex: "You don't have to say another word Sonny…"

Sonny ignored Alex's pleas. "I was cornered in the gym… That's where it usually happens… Everyone starts attacking me before I wake up… My sister isn't around to protect me… But last night the person stepped out from the shadows. They stopped the monsters from hurting me…"

Sonny turned around and looked into Alex's eyes. "The person in my dream was you Alex…" Sonny took a deep breath. "You're my protector… and my anchor… You make all of the pain and hurt go away. I'm not frightened of this world when you're here by my side Alex…"

Alex closed her eyes. "Allison…"

Sonny sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry Alex… I shouldn't have said anything…"

Alex took hold of Sonny's hands. "Allison… You're the only person I have in this world now… It's just like you said… we don't have to be alone anymore… We have each other."

Sonny smiled. "You're right." She shivered as the cold air was becoming too much for her to bear. "It's too cold!"

Alex nodded. She took Sonny's hand and led her back through the woods to the house.

Sonny unlocked the front door with her house key. She turned to Alex. "I have a surprise for you."

Sonny led Alex to the living room. Using a lighter, Sonny lit all of the candles she placed in the room before starting the fireplace.

Alex took off her shoes and knelt on the heavy quilt that Sonny had laid out on the floor. She gazed at the fire.

Sonny smiled at Alex. "I'll be right back."

Sonny ran upstairs to her room. She took off her jacket and boots and grabbed one of her demo CD's. Barefoot, Sonny tiptoed back downstairs where Alex was waiting for her. Alex had removed her sweater as the fireplace had provided ample heat for the room.

Sonny turned on the stereo that was kept in the corner of the room and placed the CD in. "I was working on this song for a long time. I recorded it last week when I was away."

Sonny knelt beside Alex as the music began to play.

_Before I fall too fast  
Kiss me quick, but make it last  
So I can see how badly this will hurt me  
When you say goodbye_

_Keep it sweet, keep it slow_  
_Let the future pass, and don't let go_  
_But tonight I could fall too soon_  
_Into this beautiful moonlight_

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me_

_See this heart won't settle down_  
_Like a child running scared from a clown_  
_I'm terrified of what you do_  
_My stomach screams just when I look at you_

_Run far away so I can breathe_  
_Even though you're far from suffocating me_  
_I can't set my hopes too high_  
_Cause every hello ends with a goodbye_

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me_

_So now you see why I'm scared_  
_I can't open up my heart without a care_  
_But here I go, it's what I feel_  
_And for the first time in my life I know it's for real_

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling so please don't catch me_

_If this is love, please don't break me_  
_I'm giving up so just catch me_

**A/N: Song – Catch Me performed by Demi Lovato, I do not own**

After the song ended, Sonny went over to the stereo and took out the CD. Sonny went back to where Alex was sitting.

Tears had formed in Alex's eyes. "That was so beautiful Allison…"

"Thank you Alex…" Sonny took Alex's hand, their eyes met. "I'm ready…"

Alex's lips met Sonny's. Their tongues danced around as they kissed. Alex began placing soft kisses on Sonny's neck, licking and nibbling softly. Aroused, Alex's eyes turned blood red.

Sonny pulled away. "Ouch! I think you bit down too hard!"

Realizing what she had almost done, Alex turned away. "I'm sorry Allison… It's been so long…"

Sonny began to giggle letting Alex know that she was fine. The two girls resumed kissing, their mouths were eager to explore the others'.

Alex slowly worked her hand underneath Sonny's shirt. On cue, Sonny took her shirt off and let Alex remove her bra. Sonny lay on her back as Alex began working her way down Sonny's neck to her breasts and all the way down to Sonny's naval. Sonny slid off her skirt and her underwear before allowing Alex to continue further.

Sonny felt Alex's tongue inside her. "Oh Alex… I'm going to…" Sonny moaned and arched her back as Alex brought her to climax.

Alex stood up and let her dress fall to the ground. She slid off her underwear and stood completely nude in front of Sonny. Alex laid down on the quilt and let Sonny do the same things to her.

Sonny was a completely different lover than Juliet had been. She was more nervous and less experienced than Juliet was. Sonny tried as hard as she could to give Alex the same pleasure that Alex had given her. Alex shivered as she came.

Alex sat up and shared another passionate kiss with Sonny. The two girls then positioned themselves and began tribbing. They lovingly and lustfully gazed into each other's eyes as they grinded against each other.

After reaching climax simultaneously, the two girls fell into each other's arms. Lying on their sides facing each other Alex and Sonny softly kissed and whispered their devotion to the other.

It was late into the night. Wanting the moment to last forever, Sonny fought to stay awake but she succumbed to fatigue. Before falling asleep Sonny whispered to Alex. "I love you Alex… now and forever…"

Dawn was fast approaching. The fire in the fireplace had long gone out. Alex gazed at Sonny as she slept, noting how peaceful she looked. Sonny had a blanket wrapped around her for warmth.

Alex stood up and quickly got dressed. She put out all of the candles.

Sonny eyes began to open. "Alex?"

Alex rushed over to Sonny's side. "Go back to sleep Allison… I'll be with you tonight…"

Sonny weakly nodded. "Ok…" She fell back asleep, tired from the long night.

Alex cursed the approaching daylight, how the light kept her imprisoned and away from Sonny. She placed a soft kiss on Sonny's lips, careful not to wake her. Alex headed up to her room leaving Sonny all alone.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 44

Friday…

The doorbell woke Sonny up from her deep sleep. Sonny sat up and stretched; the grandfather clock in the living room said that it was close to one in the afternoon. Sonny groaned; she had never slept in that late.

The doorbell rang again. Still naked, Sonny wrapped the quilt around her and rushed over to the door.

A middle aged man greeted her, he was carrying a toolbox. "Excuse me; I'm with _Northeast Heating and Air Conditioning_. I understand your heat isn't working…"

Sonny remembered Kelbo had called the heating company right before he left.

Sonny blushed. "Ummm… Could I…"

The repairman interrupted Sonny. "Go ahead, I'll wait out here."

Sonny closed the door and grabbed her clothes that she wore yesterday. She quickly changed before letting the repairman in the house.

Sonny: "I'm sorry I wasn't expecting you."

"That's alright. I should have called first. We've been pretty busy the past few days with the cold weather moving in." The repairman placed his toolbox on the floor.

Sonny: "Would you like some lunch?"

"Actually if you don't mind I'll take a sandwich." The repairman replied. "I haven't had a chance to even eat breakfast… The name's Rick by the way."

Sonny: "Would you like anything in particular?"

"I'll take ham and Swiss if you have it." Rick replied.

Sonny made two sandwiches. Rick grabbed one. "Thank you Miss."

Sonny sat down in the kitchen and ate lunch. Rick had gone upstairs to inspect the vents.

About twenty minutes later Rick came back downstairs. "Well it looks like your ducts up there are rusted out. It's common with older homes."

Sonny: "So what will you do then?"

Rick: "It won't take me long to fix the problem. I can get the heat working up there in a few hours."

Sonny: "Thank you Rick."

Rick: "Don't mention it. By the way one of the rooms upstairs is locked. I'll need to get in there to work."

Sonny: "Oh I forgot! Alex is sleeping in her room."

Rick: "Well I can probably start work in the other rooms first anyways… I shouldn't be too noisy."

Sonny: "Thanks."

Rick headed upstairs. Sonny went to the study on the second floor to watch television. She failed to hear the phone ring downstairs.

…..

School was over for the day. Max, Nancy, Deuce, Raquel, and Michael walked to their lockers eager for the weekend to start.

Deuce high fived Max. They had just received an A for their group project. "We nailed that presentation Max! I got my first A!"

"I think you can attribute that to Max." Raquel mentioned.

Nancy smiled at Max. "Your project was really neat Max." Max smiled back.

Jimmy Dembowski approached the group. Nancy stood in front of Max. "Can't you just leave us alone Jimmy?"

"I wanted to let you know your new boyfriend is completely nuts." Jimmy snickered at Nancy.

Nancy rolled her eyes at Jimmy. "What are you talking about now?"

Jimmy turned to Max and the others. "You guys know that Max has been going to those retard classes."

Raquel: "They're special learning classes."

Jimmy shook his head. "No, they put all the weirdos in those classes. I've heard that they wanted to put Max in an institution…"

Nancy: "There's nothing wrong with Max…"

Jimmy: "Hey Max, why don't tell Nancy how you saw some guy get killed. Did you get any of the guy's brain matter on you?"

Max lowered his head ashamed that his secret was out.

Nancy glared at Jimmy. "Shut up Jimmy!"

Jimmy's friends Brian and Matt came by and joined the group. Brian held his hand up like a gun and pretended to shoot Matt who fell to the ground laughing. The scene brought back terrifying memories for Max who began to shake uncontrollably.

"Stop it!" Nancy shouted at the three boys.

Jimmy ignored Nancy and continued to tease Max. "I heard your parents were going to put you in an asylum and forget that you exist. I don't blame them for not wanting a crazy retard like you for a son. You know what happens in those places?"

Nancy punched Jimmy in the arm as hard as she could. Jimmy grabbed Nancy and slammed her against the lockers.

"Don't try that again bitch!" Jimmy bellowed as he slammed Nancy against the lockers again. "Your mother's dead and your father's a pathetic drunk!" he spat at the girl.

Jimmy let go of Nancy, she fell to her knees and began to cry. Infuriated, Max jumped on Jimmy's back and hit him several times in the back of the head. A group of students came over to watch the fight that had broken out.

Jimmy easily threw Max to the ground. He punched Max several times in the face. "MOTHERFUCKER! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Brian and Matt tried to pull Jimmy off of Max. "Dude, the teachers are coming!" Brian warned his friend.

Jimmy stood up. "Look at the crazy retard!" he shouted to the other students. He glared at Max. "Your parents don't even want you! They're going to lock you away with all the other crazy fucks!"

Mrs. Swift and a male teacher approached the students. The male teacher ordered Jimmy, Brian, and Matt to the principal's office while Mrs. Swift checked on Max and Nancy.

Nancy was still crying, she knew that she was in trouble for hitting Jimmy which caused the fight to break out.

Mrs. Swift tried to calm the girl. "It's alright Nancy…" She turned to Max. "Max we need to get you to the nurse's office. You too Nancy."

Max looked up. All the other students were staring at him. The male teacher told the students not involved in the fight to leave. Max ignored the teachers and the students and ran out of the building.

…..

Hours later Sonny went upstairs to see how Rick was doing.

Rick approached Sonny in the hallway. "Well I got the heat working in all the rooms upstairs except for the one."

Sonny noticed the warm air circulating through the halls. "Thanks Rick."

Rick smiled. "Not a problem. I hate to be a bother but I need to get into your friend's room. If it's a problem I could come back Monday morning…"

Sonny: "It's just that Alex sleeps during the day… She has diabetes…"

Rick glanced at his watch. "Well I wouldn't mind waiting an hour but union rules prevent me from working overtime. Sorry about that…"

Sonny: "No it's fine. I'll wake Alex up."

Sonny went over to Alex's room and knocked the door. "Alex… Alex!" She knocked louder.

Rick overheard the commotion. He walked over to Sonny.

Sonny turned around, it was apparent that she was worried. "She's not answering!"

Rick walked over and pounded his fist against the door. "Either your friend is a heavy sleeper or something's wrong."

"Can you open the door? Please!" Sonny pleaded.

Rick examined the lock. He grabbed his toolbox and took out a screwdriver. "Now this might damage the door a bit."

Sonny was almost hysterical. "I don't care!"

Rick used his screwdriver to pry the door open. Sonny raced inside the room. The room was completely dark; the only light came from the hallway.

Rick noticed the plywood blocking the window. "Is your window broken or something? I can't see a damn thing in here!" He hit the light switch; the ceiling light illuminated the room.

Sonny ignored the man. She noticed a heavy quilt completely covering Alex as she lay on the bed. The sight almost resembled a sheet covering a dead body in the morgue.

Sonny shook Alex. "Alex wake up!" There was no response.

"Is your friend alright?" Rick asked.

Sonny threw off the quilt. Alex was sleeping on her side; still wearing her dress. Her eyes were opened even though she appeared to be in a deep sleep.

Rick examined Alex. "I don't think she's breathing!" He reached over to take her pulse.

Sonny leaned against the wall. "No…" she gasped.

Rick turned to Sonny. "You better call for an ambulance." At first Sonny didn't budge. Her eyes were fixed on Alex's lifeless body.

Rick shouted at Sonny. "Come on lady! Your friend's life depends on it."

Sonny snapped out of her trance and ran to her room. She searched frantically for her phone before finding it on her nightstand. Before she could dial for help, she heard a scream come from Alex's room. Sonny threw her phone on the bed and raced back to Alex's bedroom.

Sonny approached the room with apprehension. She stood at the doorway and found Alex kneeling on the floor; her back was turned to Sonny. The light switch was turned off, the lack of light made it almost impossible for Sonny to see anything.

Sonny took a few steps towards Alex. "Alex? What are you doing? I was worried sick over you."

Sonny reached for the light switch and turned it back on. Immediately she saw Rick's body lying on the ground in front of Alex. His arm had been completely ripped off, his throat was torn out.

The sight hit Sonny all at once. "Alex…" she weakly whispered.

Alex stood up and turned around. Her dress was covered in blood.

Alex's blood red eyes glared at Sonny. "SONNY GET OUT! NOW!" she screamed.

Sonny took a few steps back towards the door. She saw Alex lift Rick's body off the floor.

Sonny: "What are you doing Alex?"

Alex ignored Sonny. She extended her fangs and tore into the corpse's neck.

Sonny took several more steps back out of the room. She failed to notice Rick's toolbox lying on the floor out in the hallway. Sonny tripped and fell to the ground. She watched on in horror as Alex drank Rick's blood.

The bedroom door slammed shut, preventing Sonny from witnessing anymore of the horrid sight. Sonny was all alone now.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 45

Sonny stared at the closed door for what seemed to be an eternity. Everything about Alex began to make sense now. Why Alex slept all day… Why she was always so secretive about everything… How she looked like the girl in the portrait… Everything pointed to one answer.

"No… it's not true…" Sonny cried. "It's not true!"

Everything was a lie. Sonny realized that she was truly alone in the world now. She had no one who cared about her.

Sonny struggled to stand up. Disheartened, she slowly walked down the hallway.

Alex had finished draining the repairman's blood, satisfying her bloodlust. As she stood up, she came to the realization that Sonny had seen everything.

Frustrated that she had frightened away the one person she truly cared about, Alex struck herself repeatedly with her closed fists. "DAMN IT!" she screamed out loud. "I RUINED EVERYTHING! I always have to fuck everything up!"

Alex started towards Sonny's room. By now the sun was beginning to set, the few rays of sunlight wouldn't hurt her that badly. Alex prayed that Sonny would forgive her and allow her the chance to explain everything.

As she ran down the hallways, Alex noticed that the bathroom door was closed. Instinctively she tried to open it but it was locked. She pounded on the door. "Sonny?"

"Go away!" Sonny cried. Her voiced sounded weak.

"Please open the door Allison!" Alex pleaded. Alex knew that she could easily break the door down but she didn't want to frighten Sonny anymore than she already had.

Sonny whispered softly. "It's all a lie!"

Alex overheard Sonny. "No Sonny! It's not all a lie! I do love you!"

Sonny didn't respond. Alex pounded on the door. "ALLISON!"

Alex waited for several minutes before forcing the door open. She immediately noticed the small pool of blood on the floor.

_Before I fall too fast  
Kiss me quick, but make it last  
So I can see how badly this will hurt me  
When you say goodbye_

Sonny lay beside the bathtub. Her eyes were glazed over, her right arm twitched. The razor fell out of her hands.

With the last of her strength Sonny looked up at Alex. "I love you…" A single tear rolled down her cheek as she closed her eyes.

_Keep it sweet, keep it slow_  
_Let the future pass, and don't let go_  
_But tonight I could fall too soon_  
_Into this beautiful moonlight_

Alex knelt in front of Sonny. She shook Sonny lightly. "Sonny… SONNY! Wake up!""

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me_

Alex shook Sonny harder. "YOU STUPID GIRL! Have you thought about how much this would hurt your sister and everyone who cares about you? How much this would hurt me? Don't you know how much I love you!"

_See this heart won't settle down_  
_Like a child running scared from a clown_  
_I'm terrified of what you do_  
_My stomach screams just when I look at you_

Tears fell from Alex's eyes. "Don't you know how much I need you!"

_Run far away so I can breathe_  
_Even though you're far from suffocating me_  
_I can't set my hopes too high_  
_Cause every hello ends with a goodbye_

Alex held onto Sonny's hand. "Don't die on me Sonny! PLEASE!"

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling, but please don't catch me_

Alex looked up at the ceiling. She didn't know if she still believed in God but at that moment Alex prayed for a miracle. "Please! Don't let her die!"

_So now you see why I'm scared_  
_I can't open up my heart without a care_  
_But here I go, it's what I feel_  
_And for the first time in my life I know it's for real_

Sonny's lightly squeezed Alex's hand. She was still alive… barely… There was a chance…

Alex grabbed the razor off the floor. "Forgive me Allison…"

_But you're so hypnotizing_  
_You've got me laughing while I sing, you've got me smiling in my sleep_  
_And I can see this unraveling_  
_Your love is where I'm falling so please don't catch me_

Without hesitation Alex used the razor to slice her own hand open. She winced as her own blood poured from the wound. Alex held her hand to Sonny's lips, forcing her to drink.

_If this is love, please don't break me_  
_I'm giving up so just catch me_

Alex waited for several minutes. Finally Sonny opened her eyes. "Alex?"

**A/N: Song Catch Me performed by Demi Lovato, I do not own**


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 46

Alex helped Sonny walk down to the study. Sonny said nothing the entire time.

"Are you alright Allison?" asked Alex as she helped Sonny over to the couch.

Sonny remained silent. Alex examined the cut on Sonny's wrist. It was already beginning to heal thanks to the regeneration ability that vampires possessed.

Sonny gazed down at the floor as if she were lost. Alex placed a hand on Sonny's shoulder. "Allison… Please talk to me…"

The doorbell rang. Alex ignored it. The doorbell rang several more times.

"Damn it!" Alex muttered annoyed by the interruption. "Stay here Sonny…"

Alex hurried downstairs to the foyer. Before she reached the door she realized that her dress was completely covered in blood. The doorbell rang for a seventh time.

There wasn't enough time to change so Alex went to the nearby bathroom and took off her dress. She quickly wiped the blood off her face and arms before wrapping a fresh towel around her body.

Alex went back to the foyer and opened the door. She was greeted by Deuce and his father.

Deuce's eyes widened when he saw Alex wearing nothing but a towel. "Whoa!"

Mr. Martinez immediately placed his hand over his son's eyes. "Sorry to bother you Miss… I'm Mr. Martinez. This is my son Deuce; he goes to school with Max."

Alex nodded. "Yes Max is my cousin… I'm watching him while his parents are away." Alex noticed the older man's eyes trail downward. "I was taking a shower."

Mr. Martinez scratched his head and looked away. "Umm… I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I just wanted to see if Max was here."

Alex: "Come again?"

Mr. Martinez: "I was supposed to pick Max up after school. My son told me that Max was involved in a fight at school. Principal Laritate tried calling the house but he couldn't get a hold of you. Anyways I came by to make sure everything was alright."

Alex decided to lie as Max was the least of her concerns at the moment. "Yes, Max is home now."

Mr. Martinez: "Well that's a relief. Our family is going out for pizza. He's still welcome to join us."

Alex: "Max is still upset…"

Mr. Martinez: "That's understandable. Well he's welcome to stop by this weekend. Have a good night Miss."

Alex shut the door. She wanted to comfort Sonny but decided to just give her some space for now. Alex decided to clean up upstairs. She threw all the bloodied sheets and her clothes in the washer. Alex then disposed of the repairman's body, hiding it in the cellar where it wouldn't be found. Alex quickly cleaned her room and the bathroom upstairs, making sure there were no visible traces of blood. Afterwards she took a shower.

The entire time Alex failed to see Max sneak in through the back.

….

Max was still upset from what had transpired earlier that day. His lip and right eye were swollen from where Jimmy had hit him. He had a slight headache. Worst of all everyone especially Nancy knew his secret.

Jimmy's words had struck a nerve with Max. What if his parents did want to send him away? Max knew that he was the reason for the problems with his parents' marriage. Jerry and Theresa didn't have to say it, Max just knew it. And what if they did get a divorce? Would they finally put him in an institution with all of the crazy people?

Frightened, Max headed upstairs to the study. He noticed Sonny inside sitting on the couch. She seemed despondent.

Max approached Sonny. "Sonny?"

Sonny turned her head and smiled at Max.

…

Alex had changed into clean clothes before heading back to the study. She prayed that Sonny had enough time to settle down. Alex had no idea what she could say to Sonny that could ease her worries.

Alex found Max lying unconscious on the floor in the study; Sonny was kneeling over him, holding his wrist as her fangs sank deep into his veins.

Alex rushed over and pulled Sonny off of Max. She immediately checked his pulse, it was faint but the boy would need immediate treatment to survive the massive loss of blood.

Sonny hissed at Alex, angry that Alex had interrupted her feeding. Alex stood in front of Sonny, intent on protecting Max from her.

"STOP IT SONNY!" Alex screamed. "This isn't you!"

Sonny looked down at Max, and realized what she had just done. "MAX!" she screamed. Sonny ran out of the room in tears.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 47

Sonny sat in her room crying over what she had done to Max. She held the razor right to her wrist.

Alex walked into the room. She saw what Sonny was planning to do. Alex ran over and grabbed Sonny, forcing her to drop the blade.

"GET AWAY FROM ME ALEX!" Sonny screamed. She reached for the razor.

Alex held Sonny down on the bed. It proved to be difficult since Sonny now possessed the same superhuman strength as Alex.

"STOP IT!" Alex shouted at Sonny.

Sonny finally relented and stopped struggling. "I'll never forgive you Alex! I hate you!" she spat.

Dejected, Alex fell back against the wall. She stood in the corner of the room for several moments.

Sonny realized how badly her words had hurt Alex. "Alex… I…"

Alex in a fit of rage flipped Sonny's nightstand over. The nightstand was made of wood; Alex tore off one of the legs. She thrust the newly formed stake into Sonny's hands; the sharp end was pointed directly at Alex's chest.

"Drive it into my heart!" Alex demanded.

Sonny's eyes widened upon hearing Alex's request. "What? Alex I'm not going to do that…"

Tears formed in Alex's eyes. "I don't care! I'd rather die than have you hate me!"

"I can't!" Sonny dropped the stake; she buried her face into her pillow and cried.

Alex sat at the edge of the bed. She rubbed Sonny's back.

Sonny looked up. "I could never hate you Alex…"

Alex nodded. "I know Allison…"

Sonny looked away. "I hurt Max…"

Alex pointed at the door. "He's fine now."

Max stood by the doorway, the bite marks on his wrist as well as the injuries he sustained from the fight at school had vanished. Sonny jumped off the bed and hugged Max tightly.

Sonny was relieved that Max was alright. "I'm so sorry Max!"

Max hugged Sonny back. "I'm fine now Sonny. Guess what? I'm a vampire! Pretty cool huh?"

Sonny turned to Alex seeking an explanation. "I had to turn Max. His wounds were too severe." Alex explained.

Max could barely hide his excitement. "So can I turn into a bat?"

Alex shook her head; she almost hated to disappoint the boy. "No, but you can turn into mist. Of course it doesn't help at all if you ever find yourself locked in an airtight coffin."

Max smiled. "Cool! I have to try it out!"

Before Sonny could protest, Alex spoke up. "Of course. Make sure you're back before dawn."

"I will!" Max ran out the room eager to try out his new powers.

Sonny turned to Alex. "Do you think it's a good idea to let Max go out?"

Alex shook her head. "No… but we need some time to talk."

…

Mr. Lukey struck his daughter with a closed fist to the side of her face. "What the hell were you thinking hitting that boy?"

Nancy pleaded with her father. "Daddy please!"

Mr. Lukey took off his belt. "You are going to be sorry girl…"

Before Mr. Lukey could strike his daughter again, he noticed a thick mist coming into the room. "What the hell? Don't tell me something's fucked with the weather stripping or the ventilation…"

Mr. Lukey turned to his daughter. "Wait here; I'm not done with you!"

Mr. Lukey left the room. Nancy sat on her bed frightened of what her father would do when he came back. She softly touched the spot where her father had stuck her, wincing from the pain. Her father's abuse started right after her mother had died. Mr. Lukey was unable to cope with losing his wife and started drinking soon after. He took everything out on his daughter.

The mist gathered in the corner of the room. All of a sudden Max appeared in front of Nancy.

Nancy couldn't believe her eyes. "Max, how did you get in my room? What are you even doing here?"

"I'm a vampire now." Max exclaimed. His eyes turned blood red as to confirm his admission.

"So what's it like?" she asked.

Max smiled. "It's so neat! Want to see?"

Nancy could hear her father coming back. She ran to the door and locked it before turning to Max. "Max you have to leave before my father finds you."

"Don't worry I can make sure he won't hurt you again. So do you want to see what it's like?" Max held out his hand to Nancy.

Nancy readily took Max's hand.

….

Alex told Sonny everything about her previous life including how she became a vampire.

Sonny sat in disbelief. Finally she asked, "Are you sure that Harper can cure us?"

Alex thought about what Harper had said weeks ago. About how the spell could possibly kill her. Alex wanted to spare Sonny that detail. "Harper said that the spell would definitely work…"

Sonny could sense the uneasiness in Alex's voice. "Don't lie to me Alex."

Alex sighed. "But it's possible that the spell even if it works could in fact kill us…" She looked up at Sonny. "I'm sorry Sonny…"

Max stood by the doorway. "Is it alright if Nancy stays with us?"

On cue Nancy entered the room. "Hi!" There were two puncture holes on her neck where Max had bitten her.

Alex examined Nancy before turning to Max. "What did you do Max?"

"I turned Nancy into a vampire." Max stated. "I didn't know if I had to bite her first before I gave her some of my blood." He turned to Nancy. "Sorry about that."

Nancy rubbed the area where Max had bit her. The marks were already beginning to heal. "I'm fine now Max."

Alex stood up. "That's it! No more turning people. We only have one blood packet left for the four of us now."

"That's okay we already ate." Max stated. Nancy smiled at Max.

Back at Nancy's house, Mr. Lukey was found dead. His neck was broken; all of the blood was drained from his body.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 48

Saturday late afternoon, at the auction house in Boston…

The second auction was over. Jerry used his calculator to figure out how much profit he had made for the day. Theresa waited patiently for her husband, the whole auction had been a bore to her.

Cory Beakerman and Brock Roberts approached the couple. Jerry greeted the two men. "Hey Brock, Cory… I didn't know you were coming to the auction Cory."

Brock took Jerry aside. "We need to talk Jerry… We know about Alex."

Jerry's eyes widened, he knew his secret had been exposed. "Alex?"

Cory joined the two men. "Or Alexandra if you prefer…"

…

That evening at the Harvest Festival in Castlestone…

Jimmy Dembowski and his friends Brian and Matt were walking around the fairgrounds. All three had avoided getting in any trouble at school since witnesses had attested to Max and Nancy starting the fight yesterday. Jimmy had a smug look on his face the entire day.

"These festivals get lamer each year." Jimmy told his friends after dinner.

Jimmy felt something cold hit the back of his head. It was a snow cone that had been thrown at him.

Jimmy looked around and saw Max waving at them. "Hey lard ass!" Max shouted.

Jimmy glared at Max. "You're dead!"

Max immediately took off. Jimmy, Brian, and Matt started off after him. Max ran across the fields, luring the three boys away from the fairgrounds and down the street towards the Gaultier House.

Max made sure that he kept enough distance between him and Jimmy's crew. He had plans to lure them where they would be all alone. Alex and Nancy were waiting inside the abandoned house.

"HOLD UP!" Jimmy shouted at his friends. He leaned against a stop sign to catch his breath.

Brian looked around. "That kid's too fast!"

Jimmy breathed heavily. "Where did he go?"

Matt pointed across the street. "I saw him go into the Gaultier House."

Brian looked over where Matt was pointing. "What's he doing over there?"

Matt turned to Jimmy. "So we'll just wait out here for him to come out?"

Jimmy finally caught his breath. He shook his head. "We can corner him inside. Come on let's go!"

…..

Around the same time at a restaurant in Boston…

Cory and Brock told Jerry and Theresa everything they had found out about Alex over dinner. Cory mentioned that he believed Alex was actually Gerald Russo's daughter who had lived during the 1700's.

Theresa didn't believe a word of it. "What is this? Some sick joke?"

Jerry knew that he owed his wife the truth. "It's all true Theresa." He turned to the two men. "I know Alexandra is a vampire… I had no choice but to help her. But Miss Finkle said she could cure Alex."

Brock assumed Jerry meant Elizabeth Finkle who was a well known socialite in New England. "Elizabeth Finkle? What can she do exactly?"

"Elizabeth Finkle is actually Harper Finkle… Justin's ex-wife." Jerry explained. "I have no idea how she lived this long…"

Cory gasped. "My God, Harper is still alive… Then the stories about her being a witch are true."

Jerry explained how Harper was working on a spell that would free Alex from her curse.

Theresa threw up her hands. "Hold on a second!" She turned to her husband. Jerry could see the anger in her eyes that was directed towards him. "You mean to tell me you let a vampire stay under our roof! We left Max all alone with her!"

Jerry tried to calm his wife. "Alex promised that she wouldn't hurt us or Max. What could I do Theresa?"

Theresa stood up. "I'm going back to the house to get Max and Sonny."

Jerry stood up ready to leave with his wife. "I guess we should…"

Theresa glared at her husband. "I'm going myself! This is it Jerry, we're through!" Theresa started towards the door.

Jerry called out to his wife attempting to reason with her. By now the other patrons in the restaurant took notice of the argument.

Theresa ignored her husband and headed out the restaurant. Brock turned to Jerry. "I can drive Theresa back to the house Jerry. I don't think she should be driving all the way up to Castlestone in her state."

Jerry seemed distant; he knew that Theresa was serious this time about getting a divorce. "Thank you Brock."

Cory nodded. "Jerry and I should talk to Elizabeth… I mean Harper and see how far she's gotten with the antidote."

Cory took Brock aside. "Make sure you guys get in and out of there. Don't try to fight Alex yourselves. Call me when you pick Sonny and Max up."

Brock ran out after Theresa. Theresa was standing by her car in the parking lot; she just remembered that Jerry had the car keys. She began to cry, partly due to her concern for Max as well at the fact that Jerry had lied to her.

Brock approached Theresa. "Mrs. Russo, I can drive you back to the house."

Theresa was in no mood to confront her husband for the car keys. She readily accepted Brock's offer. "Thank you Mr. Roberts."

Brock unlocked his car; Theresa wiped her eyes and climbed inside.

…

Jimmy, Brian, and Matt stood in the parlor of the Gaultier House. All of the windows were boarded up, the entire house was dark. The only light came from the open door which was the only way in and out of the house.

Brian kept pleading with his two friends to go back outside. "My grandfather said this place is haunted."

"So did people really get murdered here?" Matt asked Brian.

Brian nodded. "Mr. Gaultier killed his wife and some other guy. My grandfather found the bodies upstairs." Brian's grandfather was the town sheriff during the 1970's and was in charge of the murder investigation.

"So what happened to Mr. Gaultier?" Matt asked.

"My grandfather said Mr. Gaultier got life in prison." Brian mentioned.

Jimmy turned to his two friends. "Will you two shut the fuck up! I think I heard Max upstairs."

Brian shook his head. "I'm not going up there! The previous owners said they saw Mrs. Gaultier's ghost upstairs."

Jimmy grew angrier. "Stop being such a pussy!" The three boys heard footsteps upstairs.

Jimmy took out his pocket flashlight and turned it on. "Come on."

Brian: "But!"

Jimmy grew disgusted with his friend's cowardice. "Just stay down here and make sure Max doesn't leave."

Jimmy and Max headed upstairs. Brian stood by the stairs, waiting for his two friends to come back. The stairs were right by the front door allowing Brian ample light.

Brian looked up the stairs; he called out to Jimmy and Matt. "Did you find Max yet?"

"SHUT UP!" Jimmy shouted to his friend.

Brian kept watch by the stairs. Seconds later he felt someone touch his shoulder.

Brian turned around. "What are you doing here Nancy? You better leave before Jimmy gets back."

…..

Matt heard a loud thud downstairs, it sounded like a body hitting the floor. "What was that?"

Jimmy stood still for a moment. "You think Brian found Max?" Matt asked Jimmy.

Jimmy shrugged. "I don't know. We would have seen Max run by…"

Jimmy noticed that last door down the hallway was slightly ajar. He turned to Matt. "I'm going to check that room first. You see what Brian's up to."

Matt nodded and headed downstairs. Jimmy slowly headed down the hallway. He pushed the door open. Max was waiting inside, he stood by the window.

Jimmy started towards Max. "I am going to make you sorry you were ever born fuckface!" With all of his strength Jimmy swung at Max.

Max easily caught Jimmy's fist in midair. Without hesitation Max used his superhuman strength to break every bone in Jimmy's right hand. Jimmy dropped his flashlight and fell to the ground, his hand was nothing more than a mess of broken bone and blood. Jimmy struggled to crawl away from Max.

Max grinned, his fingernails grew out resembling sharp claws. "So what were you saying about making me sorry fuckface?"

…

Matt ran downstairs. Brian was nowhere to be found. "Brian man! Where are you? Jimmy's going to be pissed!"

Matt noticed a small pool of blood on the floor by the stairs. Matt shouted up the stairs. "JIMMY! Something's happened to Brian!"

Jimmy didn't respond. Terrified, Matt ran out the front door.

Matt stood on the front porch, he tried to call out to Jimmy and Brian again. "JIMMY! BRIAN!"

Matt watched the front door, hoping that his friends would appear. After a minute Matt decided to give up and go for help. Keeping his eyes focused on the door, Matt slowly backed away down the porch stairs.

As he stepped off the front porch, Matt turned around prepared to make a run for it. As Matt turned around, he bumped into Alex who had been waiting outside. At first Matt thought the woman was actually Mrs. Gaultier's ghost since Alex was so pale.

Matt tried to remain calm. "Umm Miss… my friends are inside and…"

Without warning Alex grabbed Matt by the throat and began to drag him towards the house. Matt tried to fight back as Alex brought him back inside but it was no use. Alex slammed the door shut behind her before she began to feed.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 49

A/N: In case you're wondering what Sonny looks like as a vampire go on Youtube and search for the "Selena and Demi Vampires!" video. The first picture of Demi is how I imagined Sonny and Selena's picture is how I imagined Alex if they were vampires.

Sonny sat alone at the dining room table. She poured the contents of the last blood packet into the glass.

Repulsed by the sight, Sonny turned away. When she attacked Max yesterday, she didn't have time to think about what she was doing. Now she found the sight of blood revolting.

Sonny took a sip. Immediately she felt like throwing it up. It wasn't so much the taste but rather the act of doing such a disgusting thing.

Her hunger urged her to take another sip, Sonny tried to fight the urge but couldn't. She brought the glass to her lips again and finished the entire glass. The whole time she felt disgusted with herself.

Alex stood by the doorway. "It wasn't easy for me the first time either." she confessed.

Sonny turned towards Alex. "Where were you Alex?"

"I was out spending some quality time with Max and Nancy." Alex mentioned causally.

….

Around the same time in Boston…

Cory and Jerry stood at the front desk in the office building that Harper Finkle owned. Harper had given Jerry her business card to contact her. Luckily Harper was there working late. She ran a successful cosmetics and clothing company.

The receptionist hung up the phone and looked up at the two men. "Miss Finkle will see you now."

Harper was sitting in her office working on the speech that she was giving to her investors later in the month.

Harper greeted the two men. "I was planning on contacting you after the auction Jerry…" She turned to Cory. "I haven't had the pleasure."

Cory: "Cory Beakerman. Zeke Beakerman was my ancestor. I believe you knew him personally."

Harper glanced at Jerry. "I guess Jerry here has told you everything."

Jerry: "Cory and Mr. Roberts found out who Alex was."

Harper: "Figures that Alex would screw everything up already. I told her to keep a low profile until I could cure her."

Jerry: "Have you finished the potion yet."

Harper nodded. "I finished it a few days ago. I would have gotten back to you earlier but there were some complications… I wound up having to make another batch this afternoon. Luckily I had enough ingredients left over…"

Jerry: "I don't understand."

Harper: "Alex called me last night. It appears that your son and your housekeeper are vampires now. Alex mentioned that another girl had turned too. I assume you want them to be cured as well?"

Jerry sat down. "Oh Christ! I should have never…"

Harper patted Jerry's hand. "Don't worry. I should be able to cure them as well."

Jerry looked up at Cory. "Theresa doesn't have her phone on her…"

Cory tried calling Mr. Roberts but only got his voicemail. "Brock's not answering."

Harper smiled. "Looks like your little problem is starting to get out of control Jerry."

…

It was close to two in the morning when Mr. Roberts' car pulled up to the Russo manor. All of the lights in the house were on which made Theresa uneasy.

Brock hopped out of his car. "Stay here Mrs. Russo."

Theresa tried to protest but Brock refused to let her come along. "It's won't do your son any good if his mother's dead."

Theresa finally relented. She handed Brock the house key and stayed in the car while Brock headed over to the house. Theresa failed to notice her son approach the car.

…

Brock unlocked the door and stepped inside. "Hello! Miss Munroe? Max? Kelbo?"

Brock took out a small crucifix from his pocket and headed towards the stairs. Cory was doubtful that Christian relics would hold any power over vampires but Brock had faith that the crucifix would still work.

Brock started up the stairs. He noticed Alex coming out of the dining room.

Brock held up the cross in front of Alex. "Back demon spawn!"

Alex smiled to herself. She decided to play the man's game for her amusement. "NO!" she screamed. "TAKE IT AWAY!"

Sonny heard Alex's screams from the other room. She ran over to the stairs. Brock took several steps towards Alex. Alex fell to her knees, screaming loudly.

"I shall send you back to hell evil one!" Brock spat at Alex.

Sonny pulled Brock's arm and pleaded with the man. "Stop it! You're hurting her!"

Brock ignored Sonny; he kept the crucifix right in front of Alex. "Miss Munroe? Where's Max and Kelbo?"

"Kelbo isn't here… Max and I are vampires now." Sonny explained.

Brock turned to Sonny. "What? Then why aren't you turned away by this cross."

Alex stood up. "Probably because it doesn't work numbnuts." she stated. In one quick motion, Alex snapped Brock's neck, killing him instantly.

Sonny's eyes widened. "ALEX!" she gasped. "You had me worried!"

Alex lowered her head. "I'm sorry Sonny… I thought it would amuse you..."

Sonny began to giggle. "I guess it is kind of funny… You got me Alex." She glanced at Brock's corpse. "I guess Mr. Roberts watched too many Universal monster movies."

Alex was relieved that Sonny wasn't angry with her. She called out to Max and Nancy. "DINNER!"

Nancy came into the room. She licked her lips, eager to feast on the man's blood.

"Where's Max?" Sonny asked Nancy.

Max led his mother into the living room. Alex could immediately tell that Theresa had been turned.

Alex crossed her arms. "I thought I said that we weren't going to turn anyone else!"

"But I wanted us to be a family again!" Max pouted.

Theresa turned to Alex. "I know everything Alex… or do you prefer Alexandra."

Alex shook her head. "I'm so sorry Theresa… I never meant to bring Max into this…"

Theresa smiled. "It's alright Alex." She glanced down at Mr. Roberts' corpse. "So shall we start dinner? I'm starved!"


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 50

Castlestone, early December 1769…

Gerald Russo pointed to the large field that was covered with snow. "I want to build my house over there. We'll have a perfect view of the ocean."

The head foreman nodded. "Yes sir. My men can start construction this Spring."

Gerald Russo smiled. "Wonderful. Our cabin is starting to get cramped."

Gerald looked around. "Where is Alexandra?" he asked his eleven year old son.

Justin pointed towards the woods. "Alexandra is out playing with some local girl."

Nine year Alexandra and another girl ran over to where Gerald and Justin were standing. Alexandra was carrying her doll; it was an old rag doll of hers with button eyes and yarn for hair.

Gerald picked Alexandra off the ground and hugged her. "I thought I told you to stay here Alexandra. My God you're cold."

Alexandra frowned. "I'm sorry daddy."

Gerald smiled; he could never stay angry with his daughter. "It's quite alright. Did you have fun?"

Alexandra nodded. "I made a new best friend."

Gerald put his daughter back down and glanced at the other girl. "And what's your name?"

The little girl smiled. "Harper Finkle. I live close by." she answered in a thick Irish accent.

Gerald: "Well it's nice to meet you Harper. We'll be leaving soon Alexandra; perhaps your friend can visit us another time."

Alexandra ran over to Harper. "I'll see you later Harper."

Harper pointed at Justin. "Your brother's cute!"

Alex shook her head. "You like Justin? Eww!"

Harper: "Never mind… I'll see you later Alexandra."

Alexandra handed Harper her doll. "Why don't you keep it?"

Harper's eyes widened. "Really?"

Alexandra nodded. "Father bought me another."

Harper hugged Alexandra. "Thank you Alexandra!"

Alexandra smiled. "I'm happy that we're best friends now!" Alexandra ran back to her father.

….

Sunday afternoon, present day…

Kevin Rutten followed Jerry's car down the interstate highway.

Harper was sitting in the back. She was quiet the entire time. Kevin glanced in the rear view mirror. He noticed that Harper had an old rag doll in her hands. She smiled at the doll while remembering another time of her life... when things were much simpler.

"What's that you have Miss Finkle?" Kevin asked.

Harper placed the doll back in her tote bag. "It's nothing…"

…

Jerry sped down the highway; it was a miracle that the police hadn't pulled him over yet.

Cory hung up his phone. "It's no use, Brock isn't answering."

Jerry pushed down on the gas pedal. "Damn it! We should have left earlier."

Cory tried to calm Jerry. "Your son will be fine Jerry."

Jerry kept his eyes on the road. "I know…" He took a deep breath. "Theresa is going to leave me."

Cory: "She was probably upset when she said that…"

Jerry had a solemn expression on his face. "I haven't been the best husband or father around… I completely ignored my wife after the robbery…"

Cory: "Robbery?"

Jerry: "Back when we lived in New York… A couple of guys held up our old restaurant. One of our customers was killed. Max was shot... he never got over it… The doctors wanted to put him in an institution."

Cory: "I guess the stress would cause problems in your marriage. That's understandable."

Jerry: "It's not that… I was hiding in the kitchen during the robbery… I was too much of a coward to do anything… My family believes that I was calling the police but I was cowering in the corner like a baby. I could never face Theresa after that."

…..

Hours later the two cars pulled up to the house. There was only an hour of daylight left.

Jerry ran inside the house. "THERESA! MAX! KELBO!"

Cory, Harper, and Kevin joined Jerry inside. Jerry frantically searched the ground floor. "THERESA! MAX!" he shouted.

Harper went over to the living room and began to set up. She took out her potion; it was kept in a glass jar.

Cory noticed the crucifix lying on the ground. "BROCK!"

"Check the basement." Harper mentioned.

Cory: "What?"

Harper: "I'm able to sense death."

Cory and Jerry rushed down to the cellar and looked around. Jerry looked behind a stack of boxes and found the repairman's body.

Cory examined the corpse. "Looks like he was killed a few days ago… Do you know him?"

Jerry shook his head and ran back upstairs, worried about his wife and son.

Cory looked around the basement some more. He finally stumbled upon Mr. Roberts' corpse. Cory became saddened by the loss of his friend. He would have to call Brock's sister when he got home and inform her of his death.

Cory headed back upstairs. Harper and her bodyguard were sitting in the living room.

Cory: "Where's Jerry?"

Harper: "He's upstairs looking for his wife and son. So how many were down there?"

Cory: "Two… Mr. Roberts is dead… I don't know who the other guy was. Judging by his nametag it looks like he worked for the utility company. I'll hold off calling the police… I don't even know what we'll even tell them…"

The group heard a car pulling up to the driveway.

"Now who could that be?" Harper wondered. Kevin drew his weapon.

Cory glanced out the window, by now the sun was beginning to set. "It's Jerry's brother Kelbo."

Kelbo grabbed his bags from the trunk and headed inside. He was in a bad mood over losing over a thousand dollars at the casinos.

Kelbo noticed Cory, Harper, and Kevin sitting in the living room. "Hey Cory… Who the heck are you two?"

Before Harper could answer, Jerry came into the room. "Most of the doors upstairs are locked."

Kelbo: "Hey what's going on Jerry?"

Jerry: "Kelbo did you see Theresa come in last night?"

Kelbo: "Umm I was at the casinos… Now I started off on a major winning streak but…"

Jerry interrupted his brother. "I don't care about that Kelbo." Jerry turned to Harper. "What are we going to do?"

Harper: "We'll wait until the sun goes down of course."


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 51

Jerry, Kelbo, Harper, Cory, and Kevin waited in the living room for nightfall. Kevin had started a fire in the fireplace while Cory and Harper kept Kelbo up to speed about Alex and everything else that happened. Jerry sat in the corner of the room lost in thought.

The last rays of sunlight had soon vanished from the sky. Alex and Sonny came downstairs hand in hand. Jerry immediately ran over to Alex and struck her with his closed fist catching Alex off guard.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY WIFE AND SON!" he screamed. Jerry struck Alex again.

Sonny tried to plead with Jerry. "Mr. Russo! It's my fault that…" Jerry ignored Sonny and pushed her away.

Out of guilt Alex let Jerry strike her repeatedly. Alex knew that his punches wouldn't do any permanent damage due to her regeneration ability. Still she felt each blow.

Harper nodded to Kevin who placed Jerry in a chokehold and dragged him away from Alex.

Sonny knelt besides Alex. "Alex?"

Alex sat up. "I'm fine Sonny. I guess I deserved it." She looked over at Jerry. "I'm sorry Jerry… I didn't mean to…"

Jerry tried to fight off Kevin. Kevin kept the hold applied. "Settle down motherfucker!" he warned Jerry.

"Alright!" Jerry shouted to Kevin. "Let me go!"

Harper gave Kevin another nod to release Jerry. Kevin let go of the hold.

Jerry stared at Alex. "If anything happens to my wife or son…"

Max and Nancy joined the group. Max ran over to his father. "Dad!"

Jerry hugged his son. "Are you alright Max?"

Max nodded. "I'm sorry…"

Jerry: "For what?"

Max: "I turned mom into a vampire… I thought this way we could stay a family."

Theresa started down the stairs. Jerry ran to his wife meeting her halfway on the staircase. He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry Theresa."

Theresa: "I know Jerry."

Jerry shook his head. "No… I have something to tell you… During the robbery I wasn't calling the police… I was hiding in the back. I was too scared to do anything…"

Theresa placed her hand to Jerry's face. "Jerry…"

Jerry held his wife's hand. "That's why I kept pushing you away Theresa… I don't deserve you or Max… but I swear I'll make it up to you both."

Theresa: "I still love you Jerry… And I want us to stay a family."

Harper stood by the stairs. "I hate to interrupt you but I'd like to start now."

Theresa nodded. She walked downstairs with Jerry.

Harper turned to Alex. "I need my book." Alex raced upstairs and came back with Harper's book.

Harper grabbed the book from Alex, she flipped through the pages. "Alright, who's first?"

Before Alex could volunteer, Theresa took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I am…"

Jerry pulled his wife aside. "Theresa! What are you…"

Theresa interrupted her husband. "I'm not going to let her perform the spell on Max unless I'm certain he'll be safe."

Alex approached Theresa. "Theresa… let me…"

Theresa shook her head. "I'm his mother." Theresa turned to Sonny. "If anything happens to me Sonny, take care of Max. He thinks of you as a sister."

Sonny nodded. "I promise Mrs. Russo."

Theresa turned back to Jerry and smiled. "I love you Jerry."

Jerry tried to plead with his wife. "Please Theresa…"

Theresa ignored her husband and approached Harper. "I'm ready."

Harper: "Excellent! Let's begin shall we."

Harper poured the potion into a small glass, careful that she poured the correct dosage. She handed the glass to Theresa. "Drink this."

Theresa took the glass and drank the contents in one gulp. Harper chanted something in Gaelic as she read from her book. Everyone else in the room watched on.

The color began to return to Theresa's face and eyes. Jerry stepped forward. "Theresa?"

Theresa tried to smile but couldn't. "I think it worked…" she grimaced. She placed a hand to her stomach. "It tasted horrible…"

"Open your mouth." Harper commanded. Theresa opened her mouth wide, Harper inspected the woman's teeth. All of her teeth were back to normal.

Harper turned to the group. "No fangs… I think she's cured…"

Theresa suddenly vomited blood onto the floor causing Harper to jump back. Theresa fell to the ground; Jerry, Max and Sonny rushed over to her side.

Small cuts began to appear all over Theresa's body, blood started pouring out of the wounds.

Alex turned to Harper. "What's happening Harper?"

Harper looked perplexed, she shook her head. "I… I don't know… I swear the spell worked! She's human again."

Theresa began to bleed out from her eyes. She reached out to Jerry who held her hand tight. "Don't leave me Theresa!" Jerry cried.

Jerry noticed that the flesh had started to fall off her hand. Within seconds Theresa was nothing more than a skeleton. Moments after she had turned completely to dust.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 52

Max cried for his mother while Jerry stared at the pile of ashes on the floor. Sonny held Max close to her.

Alex shook Harper. "You killed her!"

Harper pushed Alex away. "I told you that there was a chance that the potion might be fatal! Don't you dare pin this on me!"

Harper watched as Alex smashed the jar containing the potion against the wall. "What did you do that for?" asked Harper.

Alex's eyes met Harper's. "We're not drinking that poison!"

Harper shrugged. "Fine! I don't care anymore! I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Give me my book!"

"Go to hell Harps!" Alex spat.

Harper struck Alex with her hand, sending Alex flying across the room. "IT'S HARPER!" she bellowed.

Alex fell against the wall. She realized that Harper possessed a supernatural strength that exceeded her own.

Jerry grabbed a fire iron (poker) that was close to the fireplace. With all his strength he struck Harper against the back of her skull. Harper turned around, furious.

Jerry raised the iron and swung at Harper again. In one swift motion Harper grabbed the iron in mid-swing. Harper thrust the iron through Jerry's abdomen, killing him instantly.

Max ran over to his father. "DAD!"

Harper grabbed the poker. She gazed at Alex with a crazed look in her eyes. "I'm done playing games Alex. I WANT MY BOOK!"

Max grabbed Harper's arm and bit her. Harper used her free arm to push Max off. Max fell to the ground but immediately got back up and attacked Harper again. This time Harper was prepared and struck the boy against the skull with the poker, knocking him almost unconscious.

Sonny stepped in between Harper and Max. "Leave him alone!"

Kelbo headed over to check on his nephew. Kevin pulled out his gun. "Hold up!" he ordered Kelbo.

Kevin's back was turned to Cory. Cory grabbed a candlestick holder from the mantle and knocked Kevin out with it.

"Get Sonny and Max out of here." Cory whispered to Kelbo. Cory grabbed Kevin's pistol.

Harper's eyes were fixed on Sonny. "I'll deal with you next bitch!" spat Harper. Sonny stood her ground.

Enraged that Harper had threatened Sonny, Alex rushed over and tackled Harper to the ground. Kelbo used the time to carry Max out of the room. Nancy followed them outside.

Alex hit Harper several times in the face. She knelt over Harper and screamed at her. "That was for Juliet!" Alex hit Harper again. "And that's for the 200 years I spent locked in that coffin!" Alex landed another blow. "And that was for Justin!"

Harper looked up at Alex. "Do you want to know how I killed Justin?" Suddenly a snake slithered out from Harper's sleeve.

The snake startled Alex which gave Harper enough time to push her off. Harper stood up and head butted Alex; Alex fell to the ground. Harper picked up the snake and petted it.

Harper looked down at Alex. "I want you to know something Alexandra. After Justin had kicked me out, I turned myself into a snake and caused Justin's horse to throw him off. Justin died upon hitting the ground. I thought you should know what really happened to your brother before I killed you!"

"Leave her alone!" Sonny screamed.

Harper held up the snake. "Asps are extremely deadly…" She threw the snake on Sonny. "Why don't you two play while Alex and I talk?"

Sonny screamed as the snake attacked her. The snake's poison couldn't kill her but Sonny always had a fear of snakes.

Harper turned to Alex and smiled. "Face it Alexandra, I've always been one step ahead of you." Harper picked up the fire iron. "This isn't a wooden stake but it should do. You should have just given me my book. You would have lived longer."

A bullet hit Harper in the shoulder. Harper turned to Cory. "Son of a bitch!" she spat. "And I thought you were much more intelligent than your ancestor Zeke!"

Cory shot Harper several more times but all he succeeding in doing was ruining her expensive sweater and making her much angrier. Harper started over to Cory, intending to brain him with the heavy iron. Alex grabbed Harper's leg and tripped her. She jumped on Harper's back and landed several more punches to the back of Harper's head.

Cory in the meantime went over to help Sonny. He shot the snake and killed it. Cory helped Sonny to her feet. "Find Kelbo and stay with him!" he ordered.

Cory watched on as Alex and Harper struggled. At first he was unsure of who he should help; the vampire or the witch. Cory decided that Alex was probably the lesser of two evils which is why he initially helped her.

Harper got the better of Alex. She slammed Alex's head against the hard marble floor. Cory aimed his pistol at Harper again but the gun was out of bullets. He ran over to the fire iron intending to use it as the next available weapon.

Cory leaned down and grabbed the handle. He looked up, Harper held onto the other end of the poker. The two were locked in a tug of war for the weapon. Cory knew Harper would have no trouble taking the poker away from him but he was determined to hold on. Alex grabbed Harper's ankle, attempting to help Cory.

Harper's attention was focused more on Alex. "Let go!" She struck Alex with her other boot but Alex held on tight.

Everyone froze in place upon hearing Sonny's voice. "All this for a stupid book!" she screamed.

Sonny stood by the lit fireplace. She had Harper's book in her hands. There was an angry look on her face.

Sonny's hands trembled. "You killed Max's parents… hurt so many people for a book!"

Harper glared at Sonny. "Give me my book you slut!"

"You want it? Then here, go get it!" Sonny threw the book into the fireplace; the flames immediately engulfed the book.

"NO!" Harper screamed.

Cory used the distraction to thrust the poker into Harper's chest. Harper fell back to the ground and screamed. She no longer possessed her powers anymore.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 53

Harper used the last of her strength to crawl over to the fireplace. The book was completely destroyed; it was nothing more than ashes now. Knowing that it was all over for her, Harper sat against the wall and waited for the inevitable.

Cory and Sonny helped Alex to her feet.

Sonny hugged Alex. "Are you alright Alex?"

Alex nodded. "My head hurts but it should go away soon enough…" Alex's bruises were already beginning to fade. She noticed that the bite marks Sonny received from the serpent had completely vanished.

Harper's voice was faint. "I loved Justin…"

Alex walked over and knelt besides Harper. She began to feel sorry for her former friend and enemy. "I know you did Harper… It was wrong of me to have tried to ruin your relationship with Justin…"

Harper pointed to her tote bag that was lying on the sofa. Alex brought it over to Harper.

Harper took out the doll that Alex had given to her centuries ago. It was still in decent condition.

Harper handed Alex the doll. "I wanted to give this back to you…"

Alex closed her eyes. "Thank you Harper…"

Cory surveyed the damage in the room. "What the hell are we going to tell the cops?"

Alex turned to Cory. "I don't know… What am I going to do? Where can we go?"

Harper: "I have a way to protect the rest of your family Alex…"

Alex: "What?"

Harper: "Bring my driver over here… trust me…"

Alex and Cory dragged Kevin over to Harper, he was still unconscious. Kevin's eyes were glazed over, he was breathing heavily. Cory knew they would have a fight on their hands when Kevin woke up.

Harper knelt over Kevin and chanted some words in his ear.

Harper leaned back again the wall. "I hypnotized Kevin… When he wakes up he'll confess to all the murders that had been committed…"

Harper looked up at Alex. "This way your family won't be involved in any police investigations... You can all remain here... living in peace."

Cory: "But…"

Harper shook her head. "Kevin isn't innocent. I had once paid him to kill a reporter who stumbled on the fact that I used child labor in one of my factories… Kevin had no problem doing it. The world would be better off without him… and me…"

Alex held Harper's hand. "Harper…"

Harper leaned forward and whispered something into Alex's ear. Alex nodded.

With the last of her strength Harper whispered, "I'm so sorry."

In an act of kindness Alex waved her hand over Harper's lifeless eyes and closed them. Remembering the good times they once shared, Alex began to weep for her friend.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 54

All of the major news networks had talked about the Castlestone Murders for several months. Over 15 people dead, perhaps more…

Kevin Rutten was charged with the deaths of the four teens on the beach, the sheriff, Fred - a homeless war veteran, Nancy's father, Jimmy, Brian and Matt, Brock Roberts, Theresa, and Jerry Russo. Kevin had confessed to all the murders. He even admitted to murdering his employer Elizabeth Finkle. He didn't know why he was confessing to the murders, something in his subconscious had forced him to.

Everyone believed that Kevin had also murdered Allison Munroe and Nancy Lukey and had hidden their bodies. The cops had given up their search after a few weeks and declared them both dead. Kevin was charged with their deaths as well. In reality Sonny and Nancy hid with Alex while the police were busy questioning Kelbo and Cory.

The Castlestone Murders would be studied and discussed by experts for years. Especially the brutality of the murders… and their bizarre nature. Kevin Rutten never gave an explanation to why he committed the murders. He assured everyone that he acted alone.

Many experts attributed Kevin's actions to steroid abuse as well as sustaining multiple concussions from his days as a MMA fighter. Many placed blame on the sport itself. Many cable companies refused to carry MMA events due to poor publicity.

The murders also received extra attention since Harper or Elizabeth Finkle as she was known by the public had run a Fortune 500 company and was a famous fashion designer. Also since Mitchie was a minor celebrity, her relation to Sonny Munroe had brought extra attention to the case as well.

Sonny's single _Catch Me_ was released posthumously thanks to Cory and Mitchie's efforts. It reached the top of the charts for several weeks. Unfortunately its success was primarily due to infamy or the fact that Sonny was supposedly one of the victims of the tragedy.

A statue would be constructed years later to honor all of the victims who died that October. No one besides Cory and Kelbo knew the truth of what really happened.

…..

Many days later…

The priest concluded his prayer as Jerry Russo's coffin was lowered into the ground. Theresa's ashes were placed in the coffin so they could spend eternity together.

The gathering was small; it included Kelbo, Cory, Jerry's employees who worked at the Sub Station and a few friends. Many of the attendees had been to several other funerals that week.

Jennifer who had managed the Sub Station approached Kelbo after the funeral. "I'm sorry Mr. Russo."

Kelbo: "Thanks Jennifer…"

Jennifer: "I wanted to give my condolences to Max."

Kelbo: "Max isn't feeling well… I didn't think it was a good idea for him to come to the funeral… I'll probably send him to live with his aunt in New York for awhile…"

Jennifer nodded. "I see… Well if you can give him my condolences."

Kelbo: "I will and thank you."

Everyone went home leaving Kelbo and Cory all alone in the cemetery. The afternoon sun shined above providing some warmth against the cold autumn air.

Cory turned to Kelbo. "So what are you going to do now Kelbo?"

Kelbo: "I don't know… I guess I'll stay here and take care of Max…"

Cory: "What's that I overheard about you sending Max to New York? Are you moving?"

Kelbo shook his head. "No, we're staying in Castlestone but I have to come up with some excuse why Max can't come out in the daytime or go to school."

Cory and Kelbo stood alone in silence. Finally Cory spoke up. "Kelbo… we can't let them hurt another…"

Kelbo interrupted Cory. "I found another guy who sells medical supplies at a hospital in Boston. I can get them enough blood so they won't have to hurt anyone else."

Cory: "So you think you can keep the four of them in line then?"

Kelbo: "I'll try my best… Alex promised me that they wouldn't hurt another person. Besides I owe it to Jerry and Theresa to keep Max safe. After all they done for me…"

Kelbo wiped his eyes with some tissues. "I know I'm a loser… Jerry and Theresa were always there for me… And I always had to go and make Theresa mad by being a selfish jerk… Jerry was the only person who stuck up for me… and now they're both gone…"

Cory: "I'm sorry Kelbo…"

Kelbo put the tissues back in his pocket. "I really believe Sonny will keep Alex to her word… about not killing anymore. She's such a kind girl… She's been there for Max each day…"

Cory nodded. "If anyone can retain their humanity and their soul, it's Sonny. By the way how are Max and Nancy?"

Kelbo: "They're doing well I guess… Max is still upset over his parents but it will take time… I fixed the entire third floor for them… No one will ever know they're there."

Cory turned to Kelbo. "So we'll keep everything a secret between us then… Everyone will know that Kevin Rutten was solely responsible for all the murders in town… I can't believe the police believed everything he told them."

Kelbo: "I really feel guilty letting the guy take the blame for something he didn't do…"

Cory: "Don't… Harper was right; this guy was guilty of several other crimes he should have been punished for. The man is a thug… everyone is better off with him behind bars for the rest of his life."

Again the two men stood in silence for several minutes. It was Kelbo's turn to break the silence. "So what about you Cory? I heard you quit your job at the school. What will you do now?"

Cory: "Brock's funeral is tomorrow… I'm leaving right after."

Kelbo: "Where to?"

Cory: "Arizona… I have a teaching job set up for next year. I have to make a stop at California first though… Sonny gave me a letter to give to her sister. Her sister does deserve to know the truth."

Kelbo shook Cory's hand. "I guess this is goodbye then."

Cory smiled. "Good luck Kelbo… Tell Sonny… tell her that I wish her the best with her new life…"


	57. Chapter 57

Epilogue

Kevin Rutten sat alone in his prison cell waiting for his arraignment. He had to be put in protective custody since he confessed to killing children. The other inmates would have killed him due to their code of honor.

"After all the shit I've done… I get put away for something I didn't even do…" Kevin muttered to himself.

A guard brought Kevin his dinner. He spit in the food, making sure Kevin saw him do it. "Here you go scumbag!"

Kevin glared at the guard. "My lawyer will hear about this!"

"Ask me if I give a shit!" The guard spat. "How could you murder all those innocent people?"

Kevin shouted at the guard. "That's right! I murdered all of them!"

The guard just shook his head and walked away. Kevin realized what he just said.

Kevin hurled his tray across the cell. "What the fuck is wrong with me? I didn't… I didn't…" Kevin was unable to tell the truth, that he was completely innocent.

Kevin thought to himself. Why was he confessing to something that he didn't do? He realized that Harper must have somehow brainwashed or hypnotized him with some spell into confessing to the murders. It must have been when he was knocked unconscious. Kevin didn't remember anything that day. Something clouded his memories. Perhaps Harper's spell prevented him from remembering.

Kevin remembered something a former associate once told him. "When you dance with the devil, the devil don't change… the devil changes you."

(A/N: Quote taken from 8MM, for some reason I liked it…)

Kevin began to laugh out loud at the realization that his former employer got the best of him.

…

Los Angles, mid-November…

Cory sat on the park bench with Mitchie while she silently read Sonny's letter. Cory had reluctantly told Mitchie everything beforehand. Cory gazed out at the Pacific Ocean. The weather was much warmer than in Maine.

Cory had a hard time tracking Sonny's sister. Mitchie had changed her last name and had taken her mother's maiden name Torres. Even though she despised her mother, Mitchie hated her father even more. She had never forgiven him for abandoning her and Sonny when they were little.

Mitchie looked a lot like Sonny although that was to be expected with identical twins. Mitchie even shared some of Sonny's mannerisms. There were some subtle differences though. Instead of Sonny's chestnut-colored hair Mitchie dyed hers black. Mitchie had gotten a few tattoos as well which made her stand out from her sister.

Sonny saw the world through innocent almost naïve eyes. She refused to let the world keep her down even though she experienced so much pain. Sonny stayed friendly and caring towards everyone no matter what. Mitchie while she was still a kind person had become more cynical of the world and less trusting of people in general.

Mitchie crumpled the letter up in her hands. Cory hated to even ask what it said. He was scared to tell Mitchie the truth about Sonny in fear that she would think he was completely insane.

The two sat in silence. Finally Mitchie spoke. "Sonny wants me to accept that she's dead… that there's nothing I can do for her. But Sonny doesn't want me to mourn over her either. She told me in her letter to stay strong for her…"

Cory: "I know it's hard to believe…"

Mitchie turned to Cory. "I believe you…"

After seeing vampires and witches in person, Cory was even more shocked at the fact that Mitchie actually believed every word he told her.

Cory tried to think of something else to say. All he was able to muster was, "Really?"

Mitchie: "I read an article about how some twins have a connection…"

Cory interrupted Mitchie. "Right… if one sibling is hurt then the other feels it too."

Mitchie nodded. "I know that Sonny is finally happy… I mean really happy… with Alex. And she deserves to be happy after all she's been through."

Mitchie sighed. "And now I'm all alone… My father's dead… Sonny is gone… she said it would be best not to see her so I don't get hurt… My mother will probably drink herself to death and to be honest I hope she does… that fucking bitch!"

Mitchie wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I can't make it here in Hollywood… I could only do it if Sonny was here with me… Everyone's so shallow and fake here…"

Cory: "I lost a good friend a few weeks ago but I can't even imagine to know what you're going through… I'm sorry… I don't know what I can say or do…"

Mitchie held onto Cory's hand. "Stay with me…"

Cory looked into Mitchie's eyes. "Of course…"

Cory sat with Mitchie and watched the sunset. Sonny was right; Cory Beakerman was perfect for her sister.

Years later Cory and Mitchie were married and had two children, both girls. Mitchie never saw Sonny again; she accepted her sister's wishes and never attempted to find her. Mitchie named one her daughters after Sonny to keep her memory alive.

….

Thanksgiving Day…

Nightfall finally came… Alex, Sonny, Max and Nancy awoke from their slumber.

Sonny now slept in Alex's room while Nancy took Sonny's old room. Max took one of the vacant rooms on the third floor; Kelbo helped him move all of his stuff upstairs. Nancy and Max's rooms were fixed up; the windows were sealed with shutters and boards which prevented sunlight from getting in.

Kelbo greeted the four downstairs. "Hey guys!"

Nancy looked out the window. "Max! Look! It's snowing!"

Max ran over to where Nancy was standing. Nancy along with Sonny consoled Max over the death of his parents. His grief was becoming more bearable with each passing day.

Kelbo nodded. "It's started a few hours ago."

Max turned to Nancy and smiled. "Want to have a snowball fight?"

Nancy nodded. "Sure!"

"I taped the Thanksgiving Day parade for you guys." Kelbo told Max and Nancy. "Maybe you can watch it after."

Sonny jumped up and down with excitement. "Awesome! I love the Thanksgiving Day parades!"

"How about dinner first?" Alex suggested.

Everyone sat down in the dining room. Kelbo brought several blood packets over to the table. His contact at the hospital could supply him with as much blood as he needed since the hospital was run by inept management.

Kelbo headed out the room. "I'll be up in the study."

"You're not going to eat with us?" Sonny asked.

Kelbo shook his head. "I already ate… ordered some Chinese a few hours ago. Besides I still can't watch you guys drink that stuff. We can watch some movies after you're done."

Max: "We'll be right up!"

Kelbo went upstairs. The four vampires sat alone at the table.

Sonny bowed her head. "We should say grace…" Everyone glanced over at her. "Well it is Thanksgiving… We should all say what we're thankful for…" Sonny reasoned.

Sonny smiled. "I'm grateful to be here with all of you tonight. I'm also thankful that my sister is out living her dream in Hollywood." Sonny turned to Alex. "What about you Alex? What are you thankful for?"

Alex stood up and thought of something to say. Finally she spoke. "I… I know this isn't what you would call a normal holiday… or even a normal family gathering… I guess we'll never be normal… but… we're a family now… all of us."

Alex looked around the table at Sonny, Max, and Nancy. "I'm thankful to have a family now. My father once told me that family is the only real wealth. We may be cursed to spend centuries… perhaps millennia like this but we'll always have each other… and that's all we really need."

Sonny held Alex's hand. "I couldn't have said it any better Alex…" Max and Nancy agreed.

Everyone opened their blood packets and began to feed. The entire time they talked and laughed amongst themselves. After dinner Max and Nancy ran outside to play in the snow.

Sonny cleared the table before joining Alex in the living room. Alex started a fire in the fireplace. Sonny and Alex sat in front of the fireplace holding hands.

"It's so romantic!" Sonny beamed.

Max and Nancy came back in. Max threw a snowball at Nancy and missed. Nancy picked it up and caught Max with a perfect throw. The two 13 year olds laughed.

Max peeked into the living room. "We were going to watch the parade and some movies with Uncle Kelbo…" he told Alex and Sonny.

Alex nodded. "We'll be right up." Max took Nancy's hand and led her upstairs.

Alex smiled as she watched Max and Sonny head upstairs. "They'll make a perfect couple one day…" She turned to Sonny. "Shall we join everyone in the study?"

Something weighed on Sonny's mind. "You were wrong Alex…"

Alex looked confused. "About what?"

"What you said over dinner, about us not being normal…" Sonny looked into Alex's eyes. "Alex… in a way… we are normal. But you were right about one thing. That we're blessed to have each other."

Alex smiled, her lips met Sonny's. "I love you Sonny."

Sonny smiled back. "I love you too Alex… now and forever."

The End


End file.
